Cirque
by HoneyScriptScribes
Summary: Mobians have only just gotten their rights as citizens a mere decade ago. Many of them still live as pets even still. However, there is a group that rescues those who wish to be rescued, or are in bad situations, and tries to foster and rehabilitate. This is a story that follows one such case. Slow to start. Sonadow, but may involve other pairings later too.
1. Chapter 1

Lectori Salutem!

...Wow, it's been a long time since I've said that. 7 years to be exact. Life kinda took over and I dropped out of the fanfiction game for years. But now that things have changed, I figured I might as well try and ease myself back into it. This story, back when it was "Epargné du Cirque" has always kind of remained on the back of my mind. If I was to start again, why not focus on one that had potential? So here we are, with me dipping my toes into the water of writing once more. This fic will take time to get moving, but hopefully it will be a wonderful ride.

And now I leave you, dear readers, to enjoy.

* * *

He wasn't supposed to be here. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to leave.

The smell of cheap booze and foods far too sugary and unhealthy tickled his nose. A large red and white tent stretched out in front of him. The fairgrounds were quiet. It was the middle of the night, everyone was asleep. The perfect time for him to creep around and get what he was sent for.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small digital camera, one of the few trusty tools he had for his job. Turning it over in his gloved paws, he turned it on and flicked through the images already on it.

They were blurry and out of focus, probably from a cell phone camera, of one of the "attractions" this circus had. A dark creature was in a cage, not even big enough for it to move around in comfortably. Although it was of very poor quality, it did appear that the creature had blood staining its fur.

And that's what the hedgehog was here to confirm.

He took a moment to prepare himself mentally. He wasn't looking forwards to what he was about to face, but he had to do it. It was his job after all. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the area, making sure no one was around. Then with one swift motion, he pulled up the canvas and ducked inside.

The lamplight inside cast a pale glow over the multitude of crates. The hedgehog had to pick his way through and over them as quietly as possible to get further in. He tripped over a coil of rope and just barely caught himself from falling on his face in the dirt. He picked himself up and dusted himself off before taking a moment to check his long jacket for damage.

Finding everything okay, he began searching the area in earnest. Somewhere in here the cage he was looking for. He knew he could look in the crates for the 'training equipment' but he wasn't sure he could handle seeing them.

As a member of the Society for the Protection of Feral and Tamed Mobians, he'd seen more than enough of it in his life. As a victim of it himself, he had been more than happy to join the police force when he came of age just so he could work on cases like this. Sure he worked mostly with humans, but having him on board had been helpful in so many situations already.

Such as cases like this. He was small and quick, and (usually) stealthy; perfect to do the detective work necessary.

He crept in further around one of the storage boxes and stumbled across the cage he was looking for. Sure enough, it was as the pictures showed. The cage was small and cramped, with just enough room to turn around. If the mobian walked upright, there was no chance it could even stand up straight in the cage. There were two dishes clamped on the bars of the cage, one of them fully empty and the other containing a little bit of kibble.

The blue hedgehog raised his camera and began to snap pictures, giving each one time to focus appropriately in the low lighting. He didn't want to risk using flash here and drawing attention. Feeling he had enough pictures of the cage itself from different angles, he stepped closer to get pictures of the food bowl and whatever lay inside.

And that's when he noticed it.

The cage door was ajar. The chain and padlock that kept it shut hung nearby, open and innocent looking. So wherever the creature that was supposed to be inside was, it had been let out. Now on alert, the blue hedgehog dodged back and worked on hiding himself in the darker areas. He really didn't want to get caught here...

But the pictures he had, while incriminating, weren't quite enough to get the warrant to get the creature out. Plus, they needed to _know_ what the creature was in the first place.

He began easing around the far side of the storage tent to look into the big top itself, camera in hand. He switched it to filming mode, but did not activate it just yet. He wanted to make sure there was something to film before he did. He was able to shimmy though the doorway and duck under the bleachers set up around the three large rings.

Sure enough, there was a person and what looked like the creature from the picture inside the large center ring. It was a rather large mobian, which made the cage the hedgehog had seen even more distressing. Just from looking at it, it was very clear that this mobian had been raised mostly as a feral animal. It was currently balancing on a platform on warped back legs, a light stool balanced on its forehead.

The blue hedgehog pressed record on the camera.

The human was circling the stand the mobian was on, a dressage whip in one hand. Her blond hair hung in ringlets around her head and the sparkly red outfit clung to her form. Blue eyes observed every movement the mobian made, and every time it wobbled, that crop came down with a firm, resounding " _smack_ " against the dark flanks. One pop made him jump so hard the stool fell.

"Shadow, really? You know better than that!"the human huffed at him. "Tonight's the last night we've got to practice this new trick and you're by far not ready."

"Sssss..."

The blue hedgehog's ears perked at the raspy sound. Did the poor creature actually know enough to talk?"

"S...Soo...reeee..."

"That doesn't cut it! I'm not going to be a laughing stock just because _you_ can't perform!"

The large creature lowered itself back to the platform and shrank in on itself from the scolding. The hedgehog's heart went out to it; it was clear that this "tamed" mobian was intelligent. He wondered just how smart the other mobian was if it was smart enough to apologize and feel scolded. He could only watch as the creature ducked its shoulders and rolled so that it was laying on it's side and exposing its belly; a sign of submission to the human.

She approached the creature and brought the crop down on its cheek. "We are going to practice every night until you're exhausted. We're going to get this new trick before we leave this place."

The creature yelped but otherwise did not react to the pain. She did it a second time before she popped its flank. The creature rolled to all fours and eased its way up to the girl.

"So...ree..."it murmured again, trying to root at the girl's hand. She jerked it away and the creature's head lowered once more, looking scolded.

"Let's just...get you back in your cage." The girl definitely didn't sound happy as she stormed past the stands and into the tent the hedgehog had snuck out of. "C'mon, don't drag your feet!"

The creature followed at a slow gait, favoring one hind leg. The hiding hedgehog shifted to try and get a better look, making the beams creak faintly. The dark head jerked towards his location, ears alert and perked forwards. A cautious hop-step was taken in his direction.

"Shadow! It's probably just a damn bird or something. C'mon! Hole!"

Immediately, the creature cringed and hurriedly limped into the other tent.

The blue hedgehog breathed a sigh of relief when the creature turned away. He thought for sure he had been caught. It took him a moment to get his heart from out of his throat and make his legs work. Carefully, he slid back into the back tent, paws shaky from adrenaline.

He was just in time to film the creature crammed into the pen and the girl furiously working on the clamp that held the food and water bowls. He could just barely make out the heartbreaking whines and he hoped the camera was getting it all. Eventually, the girl gave up and instead picked up the bowls out of both before slamming the door shut and padlocking it back. She set the bowls down in front of the cage just out of reach.

"No, you're not going to eat tonight. Maybe an empty stomach on tomorrow's performance will teach you to learn faster." With that, the girl turned and left.

The creature whined, reaching one paw through the bar to try and grab the dish. The blue hedgehog felt so sorry for the dark one, but he couldn't interfere. He wasn't allowed to, according to his job.

He filmed it for as long as he could stand before cutting the camera off. It hurt to leave on this note, but he had what he came for, and hopefully his work could escalate this whole case to get the creature out before they left. He wanted to see justice done.

He looked up when he heard the metal pan rattle and blinked. The camera was lifted to film the creature using a part of the rags that made up bedding in the cage as a way of dragging the bowl closer. His pain eased a little, glad that the creature was at least going to get to eat.

He pocketed the camera and worked his way stealthily out of the tent.

Come hell or high water, he was going to make sure the black and red hedgehog known as Shadow was going to be removed from this circus.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hello again, dear readers! This update and the next are relatively fast, but they will slow. This chapter and the next were actually posted to my tumblr, where I post chapter bits and pieces along with other writings, so if you want previews, check out there! I want to thank everyone with their support so far, it really means a lot, and is very encouraging!

So, anyway, enough of me rambling, I leave you with the next chapter!

* * *

The sun was just beginning to color the sky a pretty deep red and purple above the city skyline.

Sonic sighed as he tromped up the steps that led into the building where he worked. It was one of the more rustic buildings in Station Square, a little two story building that housed all of the non robotic police force, crammed into a long row of what was originally old stores in the "downtown" area. The main precinct was downstairs as well as a majority of the upstairs.

It was actually fairly busy downstairs, but it was a typical day there really. He nodded to the human greeter, a sweet young woman who was tender and gentle with everyone who came in before going further had to weave between desks and people to get to the little staircase hidden in the back. Upstairs, he came to the small "bunk" room and tapped on the door.

When there was no reply, he opened it and stepped inside. Crammed inside were three bunk beds. They took up much of the floorspace, leaving only a small walkway between two of them and a T intersection that lead to two doorways. One lead to a cramped closet, and the other to a half bathroom that wasn't much bigger than the closet. On top of one of the bunks was a lump of blankets that stirred faintly, but it was otherwise abandoned.

Sonic carefully climbed the ladder to the occupied bunk and flopped beside the lump. "Heya buddy. Sorry I was gone so long."

A low, questioning murrp escaped the lump. It stirred a little before a sleepy hedgehog face emerged. Blue eyes blinked blearily at the blue hedgehog before a peachy paw came up to paw at them. The boar yawned widely, showing sharp, pointy teeth. He whined when Sonic reached over and ruffles the messy green bangs.

It took a moment to shake off the sleep, but as soon as the other did, he glomped the blue hedgehog. "Back! Back!"

Sonic chuckled and hugged him back. "Yeah, I'm back."

"Home?" the hedgehog chirped, climbing more out of the blankets to do a big stretch.

Right away it was easy to see there was something wrong with the green hedgehog. He arched his back, stretching out his arms in front of himself. He pulled himself out of the blankets, stretching his twisted back legs out. He gave another wide yawn and flopped out on the blanket pile.

"Not yet, Manic."the blue hedgehog reached over and scratched behind the hedgehog's ear, making him purr and rub into it. it made Sonic's heart hurt a little that Manic was obliging despite the fact the blue one lacked the claws to do it properly. "I wanted to let you know I was back though. We can go home after I finish up a few things."

"But home." Manic whined before grumpily flopping to one side. "Home now. Bored."

"I promise I won't take long to get this report filed. Want to come to the office with me to wait there?"the blue one cocked his head lightly. "Get out of this room for a little bit?"

Cerulean eyes watched the boar for several seconds before snorting and burrowing back into the blankets. "No. Speed there."

Sonic frowned. Normally it was safe to leave his brother here overnight when he had a stakeout or doing some investigations. Manic, despite the fact his body was warped via taming from a young age and his stilted speech, was actually smart. He could stay at home safely, completely able to feed and care for himself. But Sonic knew Manic couldn't stand to be alone for long periods of time.

It was why he would bring him here and let him sleep in the bunk. It comforted Manic to know people were there; a carryover from his taming. He didn't need to see or be around people, he just needed to know there was someone in the building with him to ease his anxiety.

But there was one problem.

The Speed that Manic mentioned happened to be a person; one of Sonic's co-workers. A nickname earned from the fact he was a racer at heart, the human was loud and blunt, with an ego to go with it. He had no real love of mobians even after the laws came into effect. The only reason he was even working in the SPFTM branch was because he was relegated there after one too many complaints as a part of the main force. He didn't want to be there, but he didn't want to give up his badge either.

Sonic's expression softened and he reached out to pet the lump of blankets. "Would you like me to get my laptop and do it in here?"

"Yes, please." the green boar murmured back. "Missed you."

"Alright, I'll be back shortly."after giving the lump a comforting rub, he hopped down.

Just as he was about to leave, Manic chirped again. Turning back, Sonic looked up at the green face peering at him from the blankets. "Want coffee?"

"Coffee sounds great, actually. Can you get it and have Tope bring it up?" at the nod he smiled. "Meet you back here."

Manic chirped his assent, hopping down from the bed and landing on all fours. He shook himself off and stretched once more before looking at Sonic expectantly.

Sonic opened the door and held it open The green boar trotted out on all fours and turned to go down the stairwell to the floor below. The blue one watched Manic sadly. It still hurt to know that the other could never fully care for himself, or even walk upright without expensive corrective surgery.

He sighed as he headed in the opposite direction, past the records room and to the farthest door. He turned the knob on the frosted windowed door and twisted it. Easing the door open, he peered through the crack.

The room really wasn't much bigger than the barracks. Somehow the office downstairs had managed to fit in three large desks. There wasn't much room to move around comfortably, but it sufficed for such a small department.

There were only three official members of the department anyways. Sonic himself, The aforementioned "Speed", and Chris, a newcomer to the force whose paperwork they lost and stuck him here until they get everything sorted and brought him officially into the force. There was technically a fourth in the form of Topaz, who was their 'connection' to the main force. She volunteered her free time in the SPFTM which gave them a helpful and much needed hand.

The office was actually occupied as Manic had said, but the redheaded, fair skinned human was slumped over his desk, asleep. It wasn't the first time Sonic had caught him like this. He rolled his eyes and crept up to the unoccupied desk. He had to shuffle the papers around and had a split second feeling of guilt, as they were unfiled paperwork of many of their cases. He had to remind himself that he and Chris were the only ones even really dedicated to the cause and they could only do so much by themselves.

He tucked them into a neat pile to cover while the report he was about to write up was being processed and after getting a little sleep. He then set about getting the cords he needed along with the laptop itself. He tucked the laptop under one arm and carefully looped the cords around the back of his neck. He didn't have to worry too much about his quills doing damage to them; as per the law, they were shorn short and blunted for him to be able to move around in public.

It did make Sonic feel rather uncomfortable since he had no form of defense at all now, but he was at least allowed to try and make a living now.

He tossed the sleeping human a dark look and stepped back out of the makeshift office, shutting the door quietly behind him. He was met in the hall by another human and the quadrupedal hedgehog.

The ginger haired human smiled, looking just as tired as he did. Even though her tanned hands were full of two Styrofoam cups of coffee, she lifted one to brush away her short dusty blonde bangs from her eyes. Her uniform was rumpled as if she had slept in it the night before. Knowing her and her dedication to her job as a cop, it was very likely she had done it too.

Manic set one paw on the wall to balance before reaching up to turn the knob. He let go of the wall to paw the door open and chirped for the two of them to follow him inside. Sonic ducked around the door and headed in, sitting on the made bottom bunk where Manic had lightly jumped up on and stretched out. He went about setting everything up before looking up at the patiently waiting human.

"Thanks, Tope."he said weakly, and glanced over to where Manic held his between his paws, a straw in the cup for him to drink it with. "I really needed the pick-me-up."

"Sounds like it."she sat on the bunk opposite. "I know that investigation was going to be hard on you, all things considered."

Sonic brought the cup to his lips and took a long sip. "Not gonna lie, it was. Lots of bad memories."

Manic shined softly, getting up to shuffle himself so that he was leaning against Sonic. "Sorry..."

"No, don't be, Manic."Sonic murmured, drooping one arm around the other. He pulled him close. "It was worth it."

"What did you find?"Topaz asked. When she was glanced at by Sonic, she shrugged. "It's slow downstairs and break time for me anyways. I'll go back down after you're done."

He thought a moment before shrugging lightly. He knew the place wasn't too terribly busy downstairs so they wouldn't really miss her right now. "...I'm glad I went, Tope."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, Let me download the pics real quick and I'll let you see the camera."

Sonic shifted himself on the bed and flipped open the laptop. He pressed the power switch and turned his attention to the camera while it took its time turning on. His heart hurt looking through the photos again, and he wondered how much more it was going to when he digitally touched them up to see them better.

The laptop chimed it's cheery tune. Sonic logged into it and fiddled with the keyboard a bit, before hooking the camera up to it to download all of it to a new folder. It didn't take long to get it all; even the video. As soon as he was done, he unhooked it and handed it over to the human to thumb through.

She took it and did so. A low whistle escaped her. "Man, I heard they had a good rep too."

"I still can't believe she was going to let him go hungry because he was having trouble performing the trick." the blue hedgehog didn't look up from his work but he definitely twitched a little, eyes narrowing and ears falling back into a defensive position. Although one could see he was gritting his teeth, he fought not to bare them. "Not to mention he was injured on top of it."

"...Man, none of this is acceptable."she shook her head slowly as she browsed the pictures. "Not at all. I'll make sure this gets top priority on Cap's desk after you file it."

"Don't be too hasty on it, I want to get a little sleep first."Sonic looked up a moment before going back to work.

Manic shifted to look at the photos and whined softly. He himself had been lucky enough to be someone's pet rather than a circus animal. He felt pretty bad that he had had it easier than this; the cage he had to sleep in at night was at least double that size with nice cushions and blankets inside. He wasn't so much a victim of abuse, it was more ignorance and neglect. He was glad to be reunited with his brother though.

He couldn't help the whimper as Sonic went over the video. He didn't need to hear the human on the screen talking while Sonic played with the brightness levels for visibility. Seeing the other looking so browbeat bothered him.

The green boar hoped beyond hope that they could get the dark one out of that place and somewhere safer.

* * *

The blue hedgehog awoke with a start and tried to sit up. He blinked blearily when met with resistance and squirmed. He whined, confused at first, and tried to push at the dead weight on top of him.

The weight lifted and Sonic found himself looking at his brother. The other boar stretched his back and shoulders up, lean body trembling with the tensed muscles. He yawned widely before climbing off Sonic.

Sitting to one side, he smacked his lips and yawned again, watching the other boar and his movements.

"Wh..."Sonic started, but was interrupted with a yawn of his own. "What...?"

"Sleep."Manic shrugged and pointed to the laptop. "While work. Close, move. Nap with."

"How long was I out?"the blue one scooted to sit on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face, trying to wake up more.

The boar hopped off the bed and shook himself off. "Hours? Dunno."

He yawned widely and disappeared through the small door that lead to the bathroom, leaving Sonic by himself. The blue boar stumbled to his feet, catching himself on the frame to let the spell of lightheadedness pass. Once steadied, he stepped to the door and peered out blearily.

The sunlight stretched from the window all the way down the hall and Sonic could see little dust particles floating to and fro. A quiet curse slips from his lips; if the sun's coming in this far down the hall, it was late in the day.

He picked his way down the stairs and dodged between two desks to get towards the little break room. It catered to the humans that worked there, but he was running on empty right now.

The room was small and cramped, like everything else in the building. Two stools and a rickety little table occupied one corner of the room. A small fridge and a counter top with a cabinet under it butted up beside it. An older, but reliable coffee pot dominated the counter space. It was half full and steaming, indicating it was fresh at least. Two large vending machines took up a good portion of the room, full of unhealthy snacks and sodas.

Sonic bee-lined to the coffee pot and stooped to get into the cabinet. He pulled open one door and withdrew a Styrofoam cup and a lid, setting it up on the counter. He pulled the folding step stool that was hung on the inside of the cabinet door off as well before closing it back. He folded the stool out and set it on the floor, giving him the height he needed to use the coffee pot. He climbed up on it and poured him a steaming cup of coffee.

After adding a good few heaping spoonfuls of sugar, he hopped down. He half stumbled to the fridge and pulled the door open. He was thankful to find that the bottle of creamer was still in there and contained just enough for him to add to his coffee. He tossed the empty container and stirred his drink, kicking the fridge door closed.

Not bothering to try and climb up on the too tall stool, Sonic instead instead dragged his smaller one to the same corner as the table and settled under it to be out of the way. He slumped over his cup and breathed in the scent deeply.

He took a long drink of the cheap coffee, letting his mind wander as he woke up. He had a feeling he'd have to rewrite the report he had been working on before he fell asleep because the laptop may have died. He wasn't looking forwards to that, mostly because it was several hours wasted if that was the case.

A sigh escaped his nose, making the steam swirl in the disturbance. The paperwork that was involved was long and complicated for reasons he didn't understand. A part of him wanted to think it was because of the Mobian Rights Act that was only passed just a short ten years ago.

It had been a massive mess, even if it had saved so many mobian's lives. They were finally accepted as citizens overall instead of "intelligent animals". A sardonic smile came to his lips, knowing the real reason was because the government saw it as more beings to tax. With the mobians that had been working and the ones that could get jobs meant more documentable money coming into the government.

It didn't however change how people saw mobians. To most, they were still just animals or pets. It would be many more years, possibly generations, before this would be able to change.

His eyes dropped to his paws. The hot coffee was making his paws sweat in his gloves. He set his drink on the ground and pulled the gloves off, tucking them into a pocket of his long brown jacket. Picking it back up he couldn't help but to catch sight of his wrist tattoo; one of the reasons he wore his gloves in the first place.

SH-62391

He hunched a little, trying not to think about it. It was a bad reminder, just like the one the green boar had on his. It was like the ones most mobians who were "rescued" under the act had.

Not all had been as lucky as he. He did his best not to even think about his life prior to the household he had been placed into for rehabilitation. His paperwork had been bought from his old owner and given to him the day he turned sixteen, to prove he was a free mobian and a citizen now to boot.

But it hadn't erased the first ten years he had to unlearn.

He had to shamefully admit that most of it wasn't gone. Some of the training he had went through he now considered calming to him to perform. It wasn't that it was embarrassing, but he didn't want to get caught doing it because then he'd have to explain and that was the last thing he wanted.

Triangular ears perked when someone else tromped in but he did not look up. He could hear the other moving around the room. The clinking of coins going into one of the vending machines and a package falling. The clinking of more coins and a can falling into the slot to get it followed. The human approached and took a seat on one of the stools.

Sonic yelped when the human crossed their legs and nearly clocked him with one large foot. He had just barely ducked in time, and thankfully did not splash any of the coffee on himself either.

"Oh no!"the face of the youngest humans peered under the table. Short brown hair fell over dark blue eyes that were full of concern. "I'm sorry, Sonic! I didn't see you there!"

"You're fine, Chris."Sonic sighed, scooting himself and the stool to the other side to give the human leg room. "It's...just been a long day."

"Yeah, I can imagine." there was a moment of silence before the human hopped off the stool and sat down on the ground. "You holding up alright?"

Green eyes finally lifted from the cup, looking at the young adult. The pale skinned face didn't look much different than how he always remembered it. They had known each other for a few years now, since a year after Sonic's rescue. They had helped push each other through the academy, and the hedgehog was keenly aware it was because of Chris that he got his current job.

"I'm..."

Sonic found his mouth feeling like it was full of cotton. His tongue was dry, almost like it was swollen. He hadn't allowed himself to really process what he had done the night before.

And to be perfectly honest, he didn't want to either.

"...I haven't been debriefed yet."he finally murmured, before taking another long sip of the coffee. "Came in, tried to write up the report but I crashed some time ago."

The human was silent for a long moment, before standing and heading to the fridge. "It'd do you some good to eat a little something. Can you handle a cold cut?"

The moment food was mentioned, Sonic's stomach pinched. He had been so nervous about the mission he had neglected to eat the meal he had prepared for himself and Manic before leaving to bring the green boar to the precinct. Upon arriving back, all he had had was coffee to keep him going. "Y-yeah, I can eat it."

The fridge was opened and shut, before Chris returned. He held out half of a sub sandwich, wrapped in cellophane. "Here, I ate the other half for lunch."

Sonic took it and tried to unwrap it, but found his paws shaky. It took a lot longer than it should have, but eventually he peeled back the clear wrappings and took a bite. The hunger fully awakened and he wolfed the whole thing down.

Chris sat back down and watched his friend eat. He was probably the only one in this chapter of the police force that understood the impact of Sonic's reconnaissance would have on him. He knew Sonic's past, since he knew him for the last five or so years. He had used the money his family had to pull the department into founding and supporting the SPFTM for this area so more like Sonic could be helped.

He had grown up a lonely rich white kid, he found himself making more friends amongst the fostered mobians than he did with other humans. Many of the older people who didn't have kids and did not own 'pet' mobians had jumped on the chance to foster the least 'damaged' rescued mobians if only for the monetary bonus. There had been quite a few in the neighborhood he grew up in; far more than couples with kids.

"...Thanks, Chris." Sonic murmured, wadding up the cellophane in this paws.

"Of course Sonic. And remember, if you need it, I'm here to talk. Or just sit with if you need that too." the human gave Sonic a warm little smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."he nodded. "I think I'm gonna try and get my things and head home. I need real sleep and Manic wants to go home too."

"Sleep would be good, I'd think. A good, solid sleep, not the kind you can get in the bunks upstairs."Chris scratched at the back of his head. "You got the photos on the laptop, right? I can draw up most of the report for you and you can add in whatever details you need when you come back in."

"I'd...be really thankful for that. The report might still be somewhat written, if the laptop didn't die when I fell asleep."

The blue hedgehog sighed and stood, dusting his knees off. The stool was quickly folded back compact and carried with him as he headed over to throw away the wrapper. The cabinet was reopened and the stool was hung on the nail inside meant for it before it was shut back. He came back to pick up his coffee.

"Thanks again, Chris. I'll see you after I get some sleep."he bowed his head to the other and made his way back to where the stairs were.

Manic was sitting at the bottom, leash in his mouth. Upon spotting Sonic, he promptly dropped it with a sheepish look on his face. He was already wearing the orange vest with the built in harness he had to wear just to go out in public.

Sonic sighed and smiled at the boar. It wasn't like the behavior was harmful, just a callback to before. A habit that needed to be broken. But there was no reason to push for it. He was correcting himself about it a little at a time. The blue boar approached and knelt down to pick up the leash.

By doing so he noticed something. "Where are your gloves?"

Immediately, peach shoulders hunched and the green boar looked away. He snorted. "Don't need."

"We're going to be walking outside, you need your gloves."

"No. Don't like, don't need."Manic snorted again, hunching his shoulders further.

"It's just until we get home."

"No."he pouted, shifting his weight so that Sonic couldn't get access to the pocket on the vest where the gloves were kept. "Feel funny."

"How about this. You can take them off while we're on the bus. You only have to wear them when we're walking on the street."

"Treat. Home."He held up a paw, showing off two fingers. "Two scoops."

"Alright, I'll fix you a nice big bowl of ice cream after supper. But you have to wear them from here until we get on the bus, and then from when we get off and arriving home."

"...Fine." although he was clearly sulking, he did sit back on his back legs and dig into the zippered pocket.

Two white gloves were withdrawn. They were different than the ones as lot of mobians wore, with thicker padding on the palms and fingers, giving the paws within protection from the pavement. Most tamed mobians had damage to their paws from this in the past and walking without protection. Anyone who was fostering a rescue was supposed to encourage the wearing of the gloves to prevent further damage being done. They were carefully donned and tugged into place.

Sonic ruffled Manic's bangs again and hooked the leash to the back of the vest. It was a law that they had to abide by; having the green one walk on a leash. As he recovered more, he would eventually be able to walk without the leash, but until then it was required.

Manic fell obediently beside Sonic, keeping equal with him to make sure it was known he wasn't a pet anymore. He might still have a lot of mannerisms, but he was out of that life now and there was no need to continue it.

Together, they left the police station. The bus stop was a few blocks away and thankfully where they were in Station square, it blocked a majority of the sunlight from glaring in their face on the short walk. The whole time, Manic occasionally stopped long enough to shake his paws, not liking the gloves he was being made to wear. His back feet were too warped to try and protect in such a manner, so Sonic conceded to not make him wear shoes. The traffic was light and they hardly met anyone. Rush hour had already passed so it was fairly quiet.

There were two elderly humans at the bus stop already, sitting on the bench under the shelter. They both glanced at him but made no motion to move to give the pair room. Sonic was used to this behavior; the older humans had more trouble dealing with the new laws.

Sonic didn't even bother to try and speak with them, stepping inside the little glass shelter. He leaned his weight against the glass so he was out of the way. His gaze turned to watch down the street, where the bus would be coming from, and he tucked his paws into his coat pockets. It was better to just keep his head down and out of the way in this kind of situation.

Manic however, he looked at the empty seat beside one lady.

She took notice of him and moved her purse from one side to the other. "This seat's taken."

He blinked at her innocently. "Just purse. Hold. Want sit."

"Pets don't sit where people do."

"No pet!"the green boar huffed indignantly at her. "See?"

He rose into the beg position and pointed to one of the patches on the vest. It said in bold letters that he was a "Rescue" and a reminder that quadrupedal mobians are to be treated as citizens.

The pale white lady gave him a thin lipped smile. "That's just fancy talk for saying you're still a pet. You don't even walk upright."

"Can't." Manic dropped back to all fours and shook one foot. "Too hard."

"Even if you could, you're still a pet and nothing more. I'm not moving my purse."

Manic sat there and whined up at her even as she turned to the elderly white lady beside her to continue her conversation. He got louder the longer she ignored him. Eventually, she turned to Sonic and glared at him.

"Aren't you going to do something about your... 'foster'?" the word was spat almost like it was a curse word.

Sonic sighed and pushed himself off the wall. The lady gave Manic another tight lipped smile.

"You're about to get punished, you little brat."

Manic's ears fell back and he cringed. He watched the blue boar approach and reach out...

...and perked when he saw the other take hold of the woman's purse and set it on the ground. He promptly jumped up and settled himself on the corner of the bench.

"H-Hey! You can't touch my property!"

"Actually, Ma'am, I can." Sonic pulled open his coat, revealing his badge. "He is doing nothing wrong and just wants to sit on the corner of the bench as you can see."

"Well I never!"she huffed and snatched up her purse. She stood up, towering over the blue hedgehog, and glared down at him. "You're probably the pet of one of the officers yourself, that badge means nothing, you animal. Let's go to the _other_ bus stop, Gladys."

The other woman nodded and stood, gathering her purse. As the first old woman marched off she watched her leave and sighed.

"I apologize for my friend." she said, nodding her head to the mobian pair. "She's not coping well since her pet was removed from her. She's one of the people that'll never change. You're doing a good thing, helping him recover. I wish you both luck."

Sonic nodded to her. "Thank you for your encouragement and well wishes."

She murmured a farewell and scurried after her friend, who was practically stomping off down the street.

The blue boar sat down heavily beside Manic and cradled his head. When they finally got home, he was going to make himself a stiff drink and go collapse in bed. He needed rest and he needed it badly. The last twenty-four hours had been a real toll on him. He knew as soon as he hit the pillow he'd be out like light.

Manic reached over and lightly set a paw on Sonic's thigh. "...Sorry."

Emerald eyes lifted before Sonic turned just enough to look at him. "Manic, never apologize for something like this. You have every right to sit here, just as humans do."

"But...Cry..."a gloved paw, despite being dirty from the pavement, came up and brushed against a fawn cheek. Sure enough, it came back wet.

"I've...had a really long day, that's all." it was a struggle, but the darker hedgehog managed to turn his lips up into a weak little smile. "I'll fix you something and then your ice cream, but after that I've gotta rest."

"I fix. You sleep." Manic pointed to himself. "Treat tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"he tried to keep the relief out of his voice but it crept in regardless. At the nod, he hugged the other boar. "Thank you, Manic."

One paw lifted to hug Sonic back.


	3. Chapter 3

Greetings, again!  
Sadly, after this one, updates will come more sparsely. This was all I had up to current, and life has made it hard to get the next bit written. Hopefully I can go to a monthly update schedule? We'll all just have to see. Also I am aware that the legal system doesn't work this way, but I'd like to take a moment to remind people that this isn't Earth they're on and their legal system is a little different than ours. Similar, but different.  
Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter! 

* * *

After they had gotten home, Sonic did take the time to fix Manic some ice cream and set it in the fridge, so the other could have it after his meal. After that he crawled into his little den of blankets on his bed and was out like a light. The next thing he remembered was a cool nose poking around in the blankets before he was forcibly unearthed.

He made a pitiful noise, blinking and pawing at his eyes. His short quills flared in surprise when he saw it was Sam Speed of all people standing in his bedroom with the blanket in his hands.

"Get up, hedgehog."the redhead grumbled. "We need you."

Sonic rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. "It's...what, five something in the morning? What do you need me for?"

"Cap said to come get you, didn't say why."Sam shrugged, tossing the blanket on the bed. "Get dressed, I'll be waiting in the car. Hurry up."

He turned on heel and left, leaving Sonic irritated and tired. He snorted towards Sam and had to fight the stubborn bit of him that just wanted to bury himself back in the blankets and make Sam wait longer. But if Cap, the name everyone called the police chief, wanted him, there must have been a good reason.

He groaned and picked himself up out of bed. Thinking a shower might wake him up, he took the time to grab a quick one before getting redressed in clean clothing. Just as he was about to head out, he spotted Manic, already wearing his vest and the leash on the ground in front of him.

"...Are you sure you wanna come too, Manic?"Sonic asked him.

The green one nodded. "Don't want to be alone."

Sonic smiled sadly, for Manic looked to be about as dead tired as he was. Sam must have awakened him too to be let in. Not only that, he knew Manic wouldn't like waking up and he not being back.

"Alright, give me a moment to hook you up."

The blue hedgehog picked up the leash and attached it to the back of Manic's vest. It pleased him too to see Manic had put the gloves on without a fuss. Once the leash was attached, Sonic opened the front door. Manic stepped out first, letting Sonic follow. The blue hedgehog paused just long enough to lock the front door before walking with Manic out to the cruiser parked in front.

Sam was seated in the front passenger seat, cigarette in hand. He took a drag from it as he looked up at Sonic. "Took you long enough. And no, Cap asked only for you. Take him back in the house."

"Sam, we don't have time for this."Sonic growled. "Manic can't be left alone. You know this already. Let's just go."

Sam frowned, deeply. "Fine, but you gotta clean my car later today."

Again, he didn't wait for a response from Sonic, getting out of the car and slamming the door. As he walked around it, Sonic opened the back door and let Manic jump in first. The green boar settled on the floorboard as Sonic climbed in across the seat to sit behind the driver. Blue eyes watched him, and he hopped up into the seat when Sonic patted it.

The blue boar ignored the glare flashed at him from the rear view mirror, buckling Manic in safely. He settled back after buckling himself in and stared out the window.

"If Cap wants me to be able to work, I need coffee."Sonic grumbled under his breath, making the window fog up with each exhale.

Emerald eyes slid shut; surely it wouldn't hurt if he just closed them. He wasn't sleeping, only resting them, right?

The next thing he knew, he almost fell out of the car when the door was opened. The only thing that saved him was the seat belt. He flailed a little, making Sam step back to keep from spilling what was in his hands. Sonic blinked up at the human and then at the Styrofoam cup he was holding in one hand, and the bag in the other.

Sam frowned and thrust the two at Sonic. "Here, just...wait until we get there before you eat them. I don't want crumbs on top of fur in my car."

Sonic took the cup gratefully and set the bag between his feet on the floorboard. Sam got back in the car and started it back up, heading back onto the road.

Sonic carefully took a sip of the coffee and made a face. It had the usual amount of sugar he always added and creamer, but the brand of coffee was just horrible. No amount of sugar or creamer could hide the burnt, nasty flavor.

His attention turned back out the window, watching the scenery go by. They were outside station Square proper, in the foothills between it and one of its suburbs, Emerald Town.

Daylight was just beginning to creep over the horizon, coloring the clouds. The fog became more prominent, rolling in off the nearby coastline. It cast the stretch of rural nature between the big city and the little suburb into a place that was almost unrecognizable despite the fact it was passed through every day.

Sonic took another long sip, wondering why exactly they were taking the back road. Was it another rescue and they needed him to deal with whatever mobian they were saving? It wasn't that uncommon actually; they did jump at the chance to have a mobian in the SPFTM. Frightened Mobians tended to react better to other mobians instead of humans. Especially if they were abused. But usually they just brought them to jail first and let the rescued one sit there for a while to isolate them from people and give them time to calm down.

It was only when Sam turned onto a gravel path that Sonic realized where they were going. He had been here just a mere twenty-four hours ago; the fairgrounds.

"...Sam, why are we here?" Sonic questioned warily.

"I'm guessing that report Chris did after you didn't show up yesterday was urgent enough to get an emergency removal order."

Ignoring the slight, Sonic unbuckled his seat belt. "I'm not surprised, after what I saw. The pictures and video spoke loud enough."

Sam tapped the breaks harder than necessary to slow to park, making Sonic lurch, and almost spill the coffee he was about to take a drink of. "Well...anyways, get out and eat. Cap is supposed to meet us here."

The human cut the car off and opened the door before stepping out. He wandered around the front of the car and leaned on the hood, lighting up another cigarette. He clearly wasn't in the mood to talk.

They could see the circus set up in the distance. Its giant red and white tent loomed in the fog, looking faded and ancient. The whole place was still and silent, waiting for the evening when everything would start up once more for another few shows.

Sonic opened the back door and stepped out. Manic unbuckled himself and almost followed. He whined at Sonic and shook his paws. "Dirty."

"Yes, you can take them off out here."Sonic told him, leaning back into the car to get the brown paper bag while Manic worked to get the gloves off.

He pulled it out and opened it, finding two large blueberry muffins. Even if the coffee shop couldn't make good coffee, they did amazing pastries. Sonic pulled one of them out for Manic to see.

"Ease out, feet first."Sonic set the bag and the pastry beside his drink and held out his paws.

Although unsteady, Manic did as requested, sliding out feet first. He turned towards Sonic once his feet hit the ground and grabbed his outstretched paws. Two steps were taken away from the cruiser, where Sonic stopped. Manic sat back on his haunches and held his paws out. Sonic took the muffin he had removed from the bag and passed it to the begging mobian. Manic promptly tore into it hungrily.

Sonic withdrew the other muffin and took a smaller bite. It was nice and moist, like it had been made that morning. As he ate, he figured he should give Sam a little bit of credit. He certainly didn't have to get him coffee and breakfast after waking him up...

The blue hedgehog was almost finished with the muffin when two more cruisers rolled into the lot. He passed the rest of his breakfast to the green one, who wolfed it down. He helped Manic get back into the cruiser before grabbing his coffee and heading over to the other two police cars.

Topaz emerged out of one of them, straightening her uniform. She didn't look too much better than Sonic, and he took notice that she was wearing her actual police badge and not the SPFTM one.

Chris got out of the passenger seat and frowned at Sonic. "Man, I told Cap not to get you. You need a break."

Sonic shrugged, taking a sip of his half empty coffee cup. "I'll sleep after all this is done."

From the other cruiser emerged an officer not too many saw around. Her skin was like porcelain, and her hair as red as flames. People expected her, as a redhead, to have a temper on her, but she was probably the most calm and collected officer on the force. She was a skilled negotiator and her skills were absolutely beneficial for these kinds of removals. She was dressed immaculately and looked perfect.

Sonic saluted her. "You look lovely today, Miss Elise."

"Thank you, Sonic."her lips turned up into a faint smile and she reached out. She stopped shy of touching his head, waiting for permission.

He leaned up just enough to touch her hand with the top of his head before he pulled away. A simple sign of respect on both parties' parts.

From the passenger side, the one known as Cap emerged.

Those who didn't know were always surprised to see who the police chief actually was. Most suspected they were human like most of the force they commanded. He was a mobian, and a very intimidating one at that. Standing at a very impressive six feet tall, the crocodile easily towered over most humans. With a tough dark green hide and a smile that showed far too many teeth, he was by and far the most intimidating one on the force. But everyone on the force liked him because he was fair and just. He was also one of the first mobians working on the police force as a whole.

All the officers took a moment to salute him before falling into place. Sam snubbed out his cigarette on his shoe and flicking the butt out into the parking lot before meandering over to join as well.

"Here's what's going to happen. Everyone paying attention?" he asked, turning to face the line.

"Yes, Captain Vector!"they all responded, giving him a nod.

He dug into his pocket and carefully pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Elise. "This is the emergency removal letter. You, Topaz, and Chris take that to the owner. Sam and I will handle getting the cage. The truck driver was running a little late today, so he'll meet us here soon."

"And me...?"Sonic asked, pointing to himself.

"Backup, where needed. We don't know how he's gonna react to being removed and it always helps to have a prey species to talk to a rescue. Keeps them calmer."

The boar nodded. "Radio me, I'll be waiting in Sam's car until then."

Sonic watched the rest split off into the two groups; the three humans heading for a mobile home, and the human and Crocodile towards the big top. He slinked back to the cruiser and leaned against the car, beside the open door.

"Not go?" Manic asked, lifting his head from his front paws.

"They'll let me know if I'm needed."he sighed, taking another long sip. He swirled the cup, sulking a little that it was almost empty.

"Rescue?"

"Yep, Cap and Sam are getting them out, cage and all."

"Good." the green boar yawned widely, resting his head back.

A comfortable silence stretched between them, both of them waiting for whatever was to come.

* * *

The crocodile and the human headed for the big red and white tent looming in the distance. Vector thumbed the other letter in his pocket, a copy of the emergency removal letter should they actually need it. He didn't really expect resistance, but if there was any, he was ready.

Unlike Sonic did the night before, they strolled in via the front entrance. The main area was mostly empty; two workers were on the far side, cleaning up inside from the performance the night before. They took no notice of the officers at all as they worked.

Sam strode past them towards the opening in the back; a doorway into the "backstage" area.

"H-hey, you can't be here!"one of them reached out to grab Sam's arm. "We're not open yet!"

"Don't touch me."Sam pulled away and whirled to face the employee. "We're here on police business."

Vector came up behind them and cleared his throat. "I have with me an emergency removal order for a tamed mobian."

The other worker came up beside the first and they shared a look. "You mean our star act? Gerald isn't going to like this."

"One word. Obstruction." Sam stepped forwards menacingly.

"Speed."Vector cleared his throat. He then turned his attention to the humans. "He can fight it with the courts later if he wishes. We have our orders giving us permission to remove him right now."

The second human, who still had the trash picker in their hands, shifted his weight. The stick raised so that it was in both hands being held like a weapon.

Sam's hand went to the pepper spray can on his belt. One foot moved back, giving him a stance to dodge, should he find it necessary.

The first worker set his hand on the second's arm. "Not worth it. C'mon, let's stay out of their way."

Although the second worker glared, he conceded and stepped back. "...Fine. He's with his trainer right now, good luck convincing the boss' granddaughter to give up her 'Pet Project'."

Although the tone was mocking, both cops ignored it, heading into the back area. Sure enough, an area had been cleared out amongst the boxes, making a smaller version of the main 'ring'. A colorful platform was in the middle, on which the large, dark mobian was on. The blond girl from before was pacing around him, crop in hand.

The mobian was seated on the platform, looking tired and agitated. His shoulders were hunched and his ears flattened, watching her every movement.

"You know, I don't appreciate the attitude."the girl snapped, popping the end of the crop against the platform and making him wince.

Sam went to step forwards, but Vector held him back for the moment.

The mobian turned a lip up at her, but the behavior was quickly corrected with the crop to the muzzle. He whined and pawed where she struck.

"I really have had it with your attitude. Cutting your food hasn't worked, am I going to have to cut the time spent out of your cage too?"

Ruby eyes narrowed before the boar snorted. He didn't bother to respond though.

"Now, we'll go through this trick again and again, until you can do it right."

There came a weak whine of protest, but it was greeted with another firm pop with the crop. Obediently, he raised up into a 'beg' position before carefully pushing off with his feet so that he was 'standing' upright. Already he was wobbling, though, trying to keep his weight off one foot.

She snapped the crop against the leg all the weight was on. "Stand up straight, you know this part just fine."

Another whine escaped him but he did as asked. It went as well as he expected it to; as soon as his full weight came onto his left back leg, it collapsed from under him. He went down with a yelp and curled in to protect himself and the injured limb.

"Oh c'mon, you're not even hurt. Stop playing possum to get out of this performance."

Finally having enough, Sam ducked under Vector's arm. "Excuse me, are you Miss Maria Robotnik?"

"Yes, yes."she replied not bothering to look. "I'm busy, please come back for the pre-show if you want an autograph."

"That's not why we're here, Miss Robotnik."

The mobian's head whipped up, ears upright and a snarl on his lips. The girl whirled to face them.

A similar sneer spread across her face as she looked them over. "Look, I don't care what you say you have, you're not taking him."

"This says otherwise."the crocodile reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the signed, stamped, and sealed copy of the emergency removal. He held it out to her to take and look over.

She backed up with her hands in the air. "I refuse to acknowledge your serving of the papers, and I will state that to the courts."

"Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be, Miss."Vector put on a straight face to avoid it looking like he was baring his teeth at her.

"I know how all this works."her hands came up to her hips. "All I have to do is claim that it was not shown to me and it'll get thrown out. Frankly, no one here wants to lose their job so they will be on my side should this actually go to court."

Sam opened his mouth, but she interrupted.

"I've done this song and dance before, it happens in every town we go to. Nosy little cops think they can butt into one of the oldest circuses and get away with disrupting it. We have enough PR we can turn whole cities on their police force."

"Frankly, I don't care. A threat like that isn't going to stop us." Sam tapped his chest. "And all this is being caught on Body-cam, I hope you know."

"Two party law in this city-state, and I do not consent to being recorded."she smirked at them, shifting to hold the crop behind her back. "Next?"

"We have pictures of his conditions, which is why you're being served. We are taking him today."

The blonde took one hand off the crop and pointed up at the big pole above them. "We have your little...'pet' caught on candid camera sneaking around. Trespassing."

Vector and Sam traded a glance, before Sam spoke. "We've also done a little research into ownership."

Panic flickered through the girl's eyes.

"Judging by the look on your face, you know it too. All the paperwork was filed by your grandfather, making him the legal owner. He's been served too."

"Y-you still can't take him!" she protested. "I raised him! He grew up in the circus! He can't be fostered!"

"There has never been an attempt, and if you had read the laws concerning this, you'd know there has to be at least one attempt at reformation before they can be declared as unrecoverable."Sam grinned at her, taking a bit of pleasure of rubbing this in. "But even then, you'd need certification as a caregiver to be able to keep him."

She tried to think of a way to respond, but she knew he was right. Normally cops backed down when she showed she had knowledge of the system if they made it past the threats. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned her attention to the dark mobian, who had been watching everything and growling softly.

"Shadow."she said, her voice cracking like a whip.

He leapt to his feet, even though he favored his back leg.

"Outside. Hide. Wait."

Realizing he was about to get away, Vector and Sam dove for the mobian in an attempt to subdue and restrain him. Because of their sizes, they wound up having to avoid each other as well. They almost collided and tried to move back. The mobian hedgehog took the chance to slip between them and was gone out the entryway, vanishing.

Maria laughed as they worked on picking themselves up and straightening out. "If you want him so bad, good luck finding him. I refuse to answer anymore questions and...since I'm not under arrest, I suggest you leave. Or I can go for police harassment as well?"

"..."Sam glared at her.

He whirled on foot and stomped out.

Vector looked to her, eyes cold. "I only say this as a formality. Have a good day."

She mockingly bowed to them. "Oh, please do come back and enjoy the show tonight!"

He did not grace her with an answer as he followed his fellow officer out of the tent. As he left, he unclasped his radio from his belt and lifted it to his mouth. "Sonic, we have a runner. Tracking time."


	4. Chapter 4

Here it is, the next chapter of Cirque for everyone to enjoy!

Also of note, I'd like to touch on the topic of me using "Boar" to refer to a male hedgehog. Yes, this is actually the term for it. Breeders use it regularly, along with sow for females and pups/ hoglets for the young.

With that said, I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

* * *

The mist was heavy in the woods. Its thick blanket smothered the world, making the visibility next to nothing. The mist was so heavy that it dampened everything from the land, to those walking around in it, to the very scents in the air. Finding anything in this was going to be near impossible.

But damn it all, the blue boar was going to try.

Sonic stalked though the woods, trying not to be noisy. He was without his coat this time, despite it being cold and clammy. It wasn't worth it to him to let it get torn up in the clawing branches and underbrush. His fur was thick enough to keep the bramble from breaking skin but he was definitely going to feel it in the morning.

A sharp crack pierced the almost stagnant air, crisp and clear. It was the sound of something far too big stepping on a fragile, dead stick. The blue hedgehog froze mid-step, ears snapping upright. They quivered and flicked, straining to catch more.

Bright eyes scanned the dense woods, straining to see through the swirling white mist. He could pick out ghostly shapes, amorphous and constantly shifting. They were unsettling and he had to keep firmly reminding himself that they were nothing more than his mind playing tricks.

A whooping, haunting whistle cut shattered the deafening silence. The blue hedgehog fought not to grumble and allowed himself to relax a little. It was the call his brother used when he made a sound while they were seeking a target.

Sonic gave his own whistle back, letting Manic know he heard him and to continue searching.

He turned his attention back to the hunt, looking for any signs of the dark hedgehog.

The woods looked all the same to him really. He wasn't a very good tracker, even if that was what he had "specialized" in. It was the only unit type he had been allowed to train in, and even then he had been extremely lucky. If it weren't for his friend, he wouldn't have even made it past the doors in the academy. Prey animals didn't make good trackers, but they gave him a chance if only because of the argument Chris had given them.

He didn't have the best marks in the class, but it was passable enough for him to graduate and be an officer. But even so, him being a prey animal had made it hard for him to be hired. He had been very lucky that the captain had accepted Chris' suggestion to establish a branch of the SPFTM, and got the bright idea to hire Sonic specifically for the tracking of runaway targets. Ferals and frightened tamed mobians tended to respond better to a prey animal rather than a predator like the far more common canine units when tracked.

Sharp eyes caught sight of a dark tuft of fur snagged in the bramble. Ears alert, he approached the thicket carefully and began to investigate, The scent was faint, but he could pick up that smell of the circus foods which told him this was from the one he was searching for. He had been through here not too long ago with the way the smell was lingering in the moist weather.

Now having a scent trail to follow, he began to track it in earnest now.

The green boar stalked through the underbrush, head and body low. Bramble clawed desperately at the leaf colored pelt, but did little more than pull out some loose fur. He didn't care though. He was on the job, and he was going to help his brother find the target no matter what.

He wasn't classically trained like Sonic, but he was still decent at it. It had initially been Topaz's idea for Sonic to start training Manic back when he was first rescued as a way of helping him cope with the change of environment. Give him structure in a chaotic time. He took to it like a duck to water, as well as helping build a bond between the long lost siblings.

He stopped, raising his head a little. Ears tipped upright, listening intently to the sounds around him.

Faint bird songs were beginning to fill the air as the early dawn leaked across the skies. Bugs were scuttling along the grass, looking for places to hide for the coming day. Bushes rustled nearby as some small feral nocturnal creature worked its way back to its burrow to sleep. A small brook babbled along quietly nearby.

But none of those were what he was looking for.

Concentrating, he worked on blocking them out, just as he'd been trained to do. Listen beyond what he heard immediately to pinpoint the ones that were out of the ordinary.

Underneath the birdsong and rustles, he began to pick out another noise. It was quiet, almost masked by the drone of the woods. It was a sort of soft growl, not at all menacing. It was the sound of a fairly large creature in pain. Having done practice runs and even some work in these woods before, he knew the wildlife and knew it had to be the target since nothing was that big in this area.

The sound did not waver beyond breathing, meaning the maker of it was at rest nearby somewhere. After taking the time to zero in on it, he reached up and pressed a button on the charm that hung off the hook on his vest. This alerted Sonic to his location, so he could be found easily. Manic dropped his stance to a stalking one and began picking his way through the tall grasses and branches. He needed to move low and slow to avoid making too much noise. All he had to do was stall until Sonic showed up...

Cautiously, he approached the source of the sound. Peering through the branches, he finally caught sight of his target.

The dark creature in the clearing growled softly as he washed his left paw. The scent of copper was heavy in the air as he worked. Manic swore that despite the dark and red fur, he saw the glint of blood. As he watched, the boar delicately sunk his teeth into something and pulled.

A leaf Manic couldn't identify came up a little from the paw pad before it ripped, making Shadow spit out the bit left in his mouth. Brown eyes could see that there were many of these bits on the ground already. He shifted a little, trying to get a better look.

Large ears snapped upright, listening. Ruby eyes gazed into the brush, trying to discern what he had heard. Upon spotting the orange vest in the green bramble, a low huff escaped him as he climbed gingerly to his feet. A pink tongue flickered over sharp teeth as he bared them in warning. The twisted quills flared, spreading and making his silhouette even bigger and more intimidating.

Manic would be lying if he said it wasn't working. He was having to fight cowering from the showing; he was a much smaller and far more timid hedgehog. Knowing his cover was blown, he carefully emerged from the foliage.

Shadow stood as the other moved out of hiding, turning himself so that his injured back leg was away from Manic. Dark shoulders squared, and his head lowered. The quills shifted when he rifled the fur along his back, warning the other away.

Manic's quills spread as well, letting the other see he wasn't intimidated. He hunched his shoulders, making his quills bunch to help his appearance in size. Claws dug into the ground as the hedgehog squared himself, hissing in warning.

The two hedgehogs were really at a bit of a stalemate. Shadow couldn't run with the swelling in his back leg, and Manic was too intimidated from the display to actually attack. They would at least just continue to posture until help arrived, which was better than nothing.

With Shadow being so focused on Manic, and the huffing and hissing they were doing, he did not hear the approach from behind. The end of a dull barrel poked through the leaves, barely making a rustle. Ears flickered at the soft sound of a click.

But he definitely felt the dart sinking into his flank.

Shadow whipped around, snarling towards the bushes. Ignoring the fact he just turned his back on a threat, the darker charged the thicket. Claws slashed at the branches and leaves, aiming for the attacker that was hiding.

Sonic yelped and threw himself backwards, just barely dodging one of the violent swipes. The small dart gun was gripped tightly in one paw as his arms came up to protect his face. A cry escaped him when the blunted claws came in contact with flesh, scratching the skin and causing blood to well.

Seeing the blue hedgehog in danger kick started Manic into action. He bound across the small clearing, lowering his head to expose the shorter quills interspersed in his long hair. He kicked off with strong back feet and rammed himself into the darker boar.

They tumbled away from the supine hedgehog, a flurry of hisses, claws and teeth. The used dart ripped out as they rolled along the ground but it didn't really matter; its job was done. With the fighting, the tranquilizer would work its way though his system that much faster.

It didn't take very long for the intense fighting to decrease. Shadow's claws began to go wide and movements slowed. Sensing something was wrong, he worked on disentangling himself from the green one. Knowing it was better, Manic disengaged and backed away. He continued to hiss, warning the darker away.

Droopy ruby eyes darted left and right, looking for any form of escape. He backed away slowly from the pair, desperately looking to just get away.

He made it all of two steps before his back leg crumpled under him. He cried in pain, but the tranquilizer was too strong. Dizzy and in too much pain to move, he flopped where he was.

He didn't want to sleep, but it was clawing at his mind and making his body heavy. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to just...lay there a few minutes. It wasn't like he could move anyways...

Sonic let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Shakily, he climbed to his paws and knees. The world seemed too unsteady at the moment to get to his feet, so he settled on crawling to Manic instead, if only to check on him.

The green one was still very agitated, and even bared his teeth at Sonic's approach. But he quickly relaxed when Sonic made no sudden movements, allowing him to get close.

Scratched peachy arms latched onto Manic's shoulders, pulling the tamed mobian close in a tight hug. After the shock of what just happened, coupled with the last few days of stress, Sonic buried his face into Manic's fur and broke down.

Manic kept watch as the blue one sobbed into his coat. He knew Sonic needed this and did his best not to disturb him more as he sat, and then laid down. All they had to do now was wait for the rest of the squad to arrive at his position.

* * *

The tiny room that housed the SPFTM buzzed with activity. Rescues were being called, trying to find a placement for the dark hedgehog. The initial foster they had lined up had to refuse them. An emergency came up that they had to take, leaving the SPFTM team holding their rescue with nowhere to place him. There was an opening in one of the fosters out of the area, but the issue was he couldn't leave the county they were in until full custody was awarded.

Sonic sighed, rubbing his face gently. The debriefing, plus the scrambling on just what to _do_ with Shadow was starting to wear on him. The sun was still coloring the sky a in oranges and pinks even after the sun's departure a while ago signaling that the blue hedgehog had been up most of the day.

Green eyes read over the medical examiner's report numbly. The doctor that had accompanied them to the acquisition had done a full checkup on the black boar while he was still tranquilized. It was distressing to the blue boar to know that Shadow had been performing on a broken leg. It was a simple break, one that could be corrected with a cast and just keeping serious weight off of it. The thistle injury was easier to take care of; a quick wash and wrapping. Other than that, he was otherwise healthy if one didn't count old, light scars that decorated the body under the dark fur.

Attached to the file was a single, identifying picture. It was of the inside of Shadow's ear, where the faint black ink of his identifying tattoo was found. Sonic supposed he understood the logic of tattooing a dark furred mobian in the ear. It just wasn't feasible to do it elsewhere. It starkly reminded him of his own, since they shared identifying letters; SH-111505.

Shaky fingers ran over the slick surface, eyes not really focused on anything. He knew he should be paying attention; working the phone, keying in the report...anything really. Yet his head felt like it was detached from his shoulders. He just couldn't spare the energy to care at the moment. All he really wanted was to sleep, uninterrupted, for a week.

A paw landed on his leg, startling him so badly that he almost fell off his stool. Shaken, he blinked down at Manic. He could see his mouth moving and hear him talking, but the words almost seemed to be a foreign tongue. His mind just wouldn't focus enough to comprehend what the green hedgehog was saying.

Chris watched Manic grow frustrated with the multiple repeats and finally decided to step in. "Sonic, take five, and get Manic something from the break room, will ya?"

Sonic started, and stared at Chris. The brunette's words sank in after a moment, and he nodded. Getting out of this room for a few minutes would be a good idea, really. He carefully climbed off the stool and shuffled towards the door, Manic close behind. One paw on the railing and the other on the wall helped keep him steady on the stairs down. Once he was on the ground floor, he shuffled towards the break room, mind elsewhere.

Even if he wasn't firing on all cylinders, his instincts were sharp as ever. The sharp, ruby gaze was more than enough to make him freeze in place, prey instincts screaming. He slid his eyes towards the "cage" that held their rescue. He shivered, feeling the burning gaze digging holes into him. Soft growls rumbled from the pile of blankets within, revealing where the dark one was hiding.

A soft sigh escaped Sonic. Because Shadow had began acting so viciously feral upon waking up from the tranquilizer, the fosters they had called after the first backed out had outright refused to take him. Most didn't want to handle a feral, especially since a good number of the fosters they called were already taking care of others. Some claimed they just weren't set up for ferals at the moment. Sonic really hoped they could find someone to take him, and fast.

Manic almost ran into Sonic because of the freeze-up. He huffed at the blue boar, stepping around him. He glanced at the cell before pawing lightly at Sonic, whining.

Emerald eyes blinked down at the other, surprised by him. It took a moment before things seemed to click, remembering that he was supposed to be taking the other to the break room. Together, they made it the rest of the way to the room.

It surprised him when Manic made a beeline for the coffee maker, passing the vending machine entirely. Sonic settled back, leaning against the wall and just watching. He knew Manic wasn't a coffee drinker, so he was curious of the behavior. But this wasn't an uncommon sight; Manic did this at home for Sonic on many an occasion. He just required supervision while doing it, just in case something went wrong.

Manic bustled about, preparing two hot, steaming cups of coffee. Sonic's nose tipped into the air, drinking in the robust scent. His stomach clenched at the scent, painfully reminding him he had not had anything else to eat or drink today since breakfast. It brought a little, warm smile to his face when Manic picked up on the of the cups and brought it to him. He took it, thanking Manic softly, and took a long sip.

The caffeine began to bring his mind back into focus, enough to question why Manic was prepping two cups. He didn't have time to ask, as Manic was already heading out the door with the second cup.

Feeling more alert, Sonic followed to the doorway to watch. It gave him a nice view of the half hall and the room beyond. Most of the staff had cleared out for the day so Sonic was curious to see what Manic was going to do with it. Perhaps it was to take to someone upstairs?

It confused Sonic when Manic stopped right in front of the drunk tank and set the cup on the ground in front of the bars.

The pile of spare sheets that had been dumped in the cell for the black hedgehog stirred. Slowly, the dark one emerged from the nest and cautiously approached the bars. Eyes flicked around, looking for others around. Finding no one other than Manic, he approached the bars and reached through. The cup was gently taken and brought back into the cage.

Shadow settled back on his haunches, cup gently held in both paws. He brought it to his muzzle and held it steady under his nose. Ruby eyes slid closed as Shadow breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent. After what seemed to be an eternity, he brought the edge to his lips and drank.

He lowered it after a few moments and sighed happily. "...thank you."

Sonic narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Since coming to the to the station, he had showed no signs of being anything other than feral. His behavior had even gotten Sonic questioning his initial report of the black hedgehog's behavior. Not only that, but the words weren't slurred as he'd heard before.

"Would you possibly be able to get me something to eat?"the dark one asked softly.

And, apparently, Shadow was a lot more well spoken than Sonic ever suspected.

"Snack machine!" Manic chirped, nodding back towards the break room. "What want?"

"Anything will do, thank you."

"Okay!"Manic hopped back up and headed back towards the break room.

Sonic ducked back inside, mind elsewhere. Knowing Manic was going to ask for money, he dug his wallet out of his quills. He pulled out a couple of mobidad ringnotes just as Manic entered.

Trying to look casual about it, Sonic smiled gently. "Wanna get something?"

Manic bound up to him, nodding eagerly. He took the proffered money and turned his attention to the vending machine. He fed in the two bills, and began studying the assortment of snacks. While he couldn't read the labels, the recognized the packaging well enough to name them and pick them out if asked. But now he was faced with a little bit of a conundrum. He knew what he liked, but didn't know if Shadow would like it as well.

Deciding to take a chance, he stabbed the button under a bag of chips, and another under a bar of chocolate. They both fell into the drop below, where the boar retrieved them. He gathered them up and headed back to Shadow.

The dark hedgehog perked when he saw Manic returning with the goodies. A tongue flickered out over dry lips, and his tail began to wag, unbidden. He was wary however. This scenario was far, _far_ too familiar for his liking. If the green boar was like the others in the past...

Cautiously, he approached the bars when Manic held the items out. The treats were so very close, all he had to do was reach out and take it. Untrusting eyes flicked over the other boar watching for any sudden moves. He could see the other trembling, and felt a little bad. He couldn't really blame him for for the fear. He was acting particularly terribly around the doctor and others. It was how he wound up in this cell in the corner of the station in the first place.

Body tensed and ready for anything, Shadow reached out slowly to take the items.

Manic held steady, watching just as warily. It was true, he was afraid of Shadow. With the attack earlier, and the aggressive attitude since arriving at the station, he wasn't sure he should even trust the hedgehog. It had shocked him when Shadow had called out to him after checking to make sure no one else was around, and then politely ask if he could have some coffee.

Long fingers brushed against the packaging, not grabbing just yet. The trust he was putting into Manic was very fragile (and driven by hunger). When it wasn't pulled away, the digits closed over the goodies. He felt the other let them go. He pulled them back into his cell and retreated more than arm's length away from the bars.

This confused Manic, but he wasn't going to question it. He stepped back giving Shadow his space. Wanting to get comfortable, he made sure he wasn't in the walkway and stretched out. With a majority of everyone having gone home for the day, (minus the SPFTM team) and Sonic refueling in the break room, there really wasn't anyone else to keep him company. Besides, he was pretty sure Shadow wouldn't want to be alone either, especially now.

Although his paws were shaky, Shadow carefully tore open the bag of chips. As he did with the coffee, a deep sniff was taken of the contents. He licked his lips, savoring it like it was a fine wine. He couldn't remember the last time he had food other than the cheap, kibble-like "Insecti-Pride" that the circus purchased to feed him. Personally, he thought cardboard tasted better.

Shadow slowly withdrew a single crisp from the bag. Such a plain and humble snack food, yet it was being seen as a delicacy. It was carefully bitten into, shattering it and spreading its salty goodness across Shadow's tongue. The sensation was over far sooner than he would have liked, leading him to get another.

He was so lost in enjoying the chips that he almost didn't hear the footsteps coming down the stairs. He snatched up the now empty bag of chips, as well as the still wrapped candy bar, and squirreled them away in the blankets. He followed suit afterwords, hunkering down and barring his teeth towards the newcomer.

The redhead didn't even spare a glance at the hidden, defensive boar as he headed into the break room. He also ignored Sonic, who was camping in one corner of the room and nursing on the cup of coffee. He flung open the cabinet above the coffee maker and withdrew a black and white checkered ceramic mug.

It was only after he fixed himself a cup of black coffee that he spoke.

"Are you about done staring into space?" he took a sip of the drink. "And contribute to the team?"

Sonic had to bite the edge of his cup to stop a rude a response. "I'll be back up there shortly."

"Good. That medical report is the last thing we need done." Sam took another sip and made a face. Sonic couldn't tell if it was towards him or the taste of the coffee.

"Oh, was a place found?"a note of hope made it into the blue boar's voice.

"Pound's the only place that'd take him."

A chill went down Sonic's spine, making his fur and quills fluff out. While it was technically better than nothing, it was still not a fate Sonic would wish on anyone. It was truly a last resort, a place for only the most feral, no hope cases. Small cage-like cells, little interaction with others...It was only just a little better than the alternative of death.

"No."

The word slipped from Sonic's lips without his approval.

Blue eyes showed confusion for a moment before Sam frowned. "Look, he can't stay here. No fosters in the area will take him. He can't leave the county until custody's been decided."

"You've really called everyone?"

Sam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've done _our_ job, hedgehog. Unless _you_ know someone the department _doesn't_ that has a license and room, he's going to the Pound in an hour."

Sonic sat there, fuming silently. There had to be someone, _somewhere_ that could take him. Shadow clearly wasn't feral, and someone as intelligent as he'd seen absolutely did _not_ deserve that fate (then again it's not a fate he'd wish on anyone). He didn't understand why Shadow was acting so feral around everyone but Manic, but he must have a reason.

A whine from the doorway caused Sonic to look up. Catching sight of the timid green boar in the service vest, an idea came to him. He pulled his wallet back out and rifled through it. A single slip of paper was withdrew. He unfolded it, and scanned it over.

The dates were still good. The stamps were what they were looking for. His capacity rating would allow it.

He looked up at Sam, determination in his eyes.

"I'll take him."


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again to all my lovely readers!

I want to apologize about the lateness of this chapter. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm a slow writer. But I do promise, come hell or high water, that this _will_ be finished one day! As a reminder, I do post previews of this story to my writing tumblr of the same name, as well as the entirety of the chapter a week before I post it here!

But yeah, today's the one year anniversary of posting this to ! I've been overwhelmed at the people who's enjoyed it, and those that even remember the original! I want to thank all my readers, old and new, for giving this (and me!) a chance and I hope this story will be enjoyed for some time to come!

But anyway, enough rambling! Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Blue eyes stared at Sonic. "You _can't_ be serious."

The blue boar chewed lightly on his tongue in an attempt to bite back a sarcastic remark. "I am. I'm licensed for two."

"You're overworked as it is, with your brother, and your shifts." Sam lightly sipped at his coffee.

"It's only temporary."

"We're backlogged, and need you _here_."

"It's not going to be that long." Sonic shifted, trying his best to keep his attention on his coffee. "The Pound, in his condition, is out of the question."

"Cap won't approve this, and you know it."

"I won't approve what?"

Both hedgehogs and human turned to look at the doorway. Manic skittered over to Sonic's stool to make room for the tall crocodile. Sam sidestepped, clearing the way to the cabinets and coffee pot. The crocodile bee-lined for them, pulling out a cup twice the size of the humans, and draining the rest of the coffee pot into it. He took a sip and made a face, but added nothing to the blackness in his cup.

"Sonic's gonna go AWOL."The human said bluntly.

Vector frowned, looking to the blue hedgehog. "You can't, we need all hands on deck."

"Shadow's not going to the Pound." A growl rumbled in the hedgehog's chest.

"We don't have a choice."

"We do, actually." Sonic held out his license, trying to hide the nervous tremble.

Vector took it, unfolding it carefully to look over. Sonic could see him reading it over, thinking. He looked down at the green hedgehog, who'd stretched out beside the stool. One could almost hear the gears turning in his mind.

A frown came to his face. "Will Manic be able to handle this setup, though?"

The green boar spoke up before Sonic could. "Yes! Friendly! Be fine!"

The crocodile couldn't help but to smile a little at the absolute conviction to the green one's words. "And you know this will have to count towards your unpaid vacation days?"

Sonic bit back a groan. "W-what if I did filing work? I know we've got a lot that needs to be keyed in, and I'm about to have a lot of free time..."

"Nice try, but I can't pay both your salary _and_ the emergency foster fund for however long you're keeping him."

"C'mon Cap, can't you work with me a little here? It'd free up the department to do other things..."

Vector sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the top of his snout. "I can't pay you working salary for that."

"But-!"

One claw lifted, silencing Sonic. "However, I _can_ authorize bonus pay for every so many you file. I can't guarantee what it will be."

"That's..." Sonic's muzzle scrunched a bit. It was a very good offer, all things considered. It'd be more than he'd get from just the foster pay, at least. "Okay, fine. One more thing."

"Stop pushing your luck, hedgehog." Sam huffed a little, not bothering to even lower his voice.

The blue hedgehog paid him no mind, continuing. "I know I've still got a few hours left on my shift, but I've maybe had a few hours of sleep in the last two days. I'm on my last legs."

Vector sighed. "Fine, go ahead and clock out early and get a few more hours. You'll need it."

An indignant sound escaped the redhead, but it was thoroughly ignored by all the mobians. Sonic bowed his head in thanks to his boss before hopping off the stool. He knelt in front of Manic.

"Can you keep the new guy company while I grab a little shut eye?" he reached out and scratched behind a perky ear.

The green hedgehog leaned into the affectionate touch, purring loudly. "Tell?"

"Yes, you can tell him." Fingers lightly captured the ear to tweak.

Manic shook his head, freeing his ear, and gave Sonic a friendly head bump. He scampered off down the hall, leaving the group alone.

Sonic watched him leave and sighed softly. He straightened himself up and spoke without turning.

"Thanks again, Cap."

Not bothering to wait for a response, he followed Manic out of the room. Despite the coffee, he was still running on fumes. A good, solid sleep was what he needed, especially since he was about to take a "feral" into his home. He'd have to have his wits about him.

Sonic only had one thought on his mind at this point; get upstairs and collapse in the bunk. Sure, it wasn't a comfortable bed, but right now he'd take anything. With as tired as he was? It was going to be a slice of heaven.

The stairs were a bit of a trial, but ultimately easier than getting down them were. Once that obstacle was clear, he stumbled down the hallway and carefully pushed the door open. The bunk room was devoid of life, which meant he could sleep in peace.

He crawled into the closest bunk and burrowed himself under the covers. He curled them around himself, making a comfortable, warm nest. It didn't take very long for him to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The night passed by peacefully. The night shift workers pretty much left the "guest" in the drunk tank alone, save for still trying to get a glimpse of the elusive hedgehog. They jokingly called him the "office Cryptid". But as it goes, time marched on. The night shift did their jobs and went home.

It was just after the sun came up over the horizon when the front door slammed open. In stepped a tall blonde woman. She was wearing business casual clothing, but her hair was still done up in a large volume of curls and bedecked with a tiara and jewels. She paid the only person in the room, a chameleon at the front desk, no mind as she strode inside. Her eyes roamed the small office as if looking for something.

Being unable to find whatever it was she was searching for, she snapped her fingers at the chameleon. "Fetch me a human officer, There's business to discuss."

The purple chameleon didn't even look away from the computer he was working at. "I'm the only one available at the moment, unless you want to wait until eight A.M."

She snapped her fingers again impatiently. "Don't be lazy, go and get one now."

Cold, reptilian eyes flicked in her direction. "Do not snap your fingers at me, Miss. You are within your right to request to speak to a human officer, but-"

"Don't speak back to me." The woman approached his desk and slammed her hand on it. She leaned in menacingly. "Get me a human. Hu-man. Do you understand?"

The chameleon looked distinctly unimpressed. "You may wait until one of my human colleagues come in, or you can speak with me. Those are your only options, take your pick."

Ruby lips thinned to a line. The woman shifted her weight, contemplating what to do. Her eyes wandered the room, wondering if she could spot her 'pet'. Finding no sign of him, her gaze fell back to the reptile at the desk. "Well...I guess I'll just have to make do."

The mobian ignored the slight, and turned his full attention to her. He folded his claws together on the desk. "What is the issue, Miss...?"

"Maria." She responded as well manicured hands rifled through the large purse hanging off one shoulder. The woman withdrew an envelope. "I was told I could come down here and pick up my tamed mobian. I have the judge's orders right here."

Said envelope was dropped unceremoniously onto the desk. The chameleon picked it up and took his sweet time in opening it. The paperwork was removed and shook out to read over. He rolled his chair away from his desk, towards the copier nearby.

She rolled her eyes. "You can make copies later. I'm in a big hurry, so go get him."

"Not here." Manic emerged from the back hallway, head lowered and looking rather averted his eyes. "Pound."

Golden curls flew as the girl whipped her head around to look at him. "No one told you to speak."

Ducking his head, the green hedgehog moved towards the desk. "No fosters, can't stay here. Pound take."

"Silence, animal." Maria's voice cracked like a whip, making Manic cringe. "Go back to your kennel."

The chameleon wheeled himself back to the desk. "Well, as you heard, the mobian you're looking for is no longer here. But even if he was, you wouldn't be able to get him."

"E-excuse me?! I have everything signed and dated!"

Calm golden eyes gazed up at the human. The original papers were folded back up and tucked into the envelope. "This was signed by Judge Westwood, and his district is Emerald Town. This is Station Square. You need Judge Cooper to sign this."

"But the courthouse said this was all I needed!" Maria's hands flexed, making and releasing fists in an effort to curb her anger.

"Then they should have told you that you needed Judge Cooper's signature." The chameleon pushed the envelope across the desk.

"A judge is a judge is a judge." Maria huffed, snatching the paperwork off the desk. "It shouldn't matter who signs it."

"Judge Cooper is the one who is handling this case, so you need her signature."

"Then fax her the paperwork, I'm in a hurry!"

With the way the chameleon had his head tilted, she couldn't see the tiny smirk on his face. "She's away on vacation with her significant other with orders to not be disturbed unless it's an emergency."

"This is an emergency." Maria leaned over the desk again, trying to stare down the mobian. "Do it. Now."

"To be perfectly frank with you," the chameleon lifted his head to look her in the eye. "It isn't. You're just going to have to wait for them to come home at the end of the week. "

Fingers twitched on the desk as she rolled her options around in her mind. As much as she didn't want to, she dismissed the option of physical intimidation. It didn't seem it was working on the chameleon. The decision she finally made was one she wasn't happy with, but necessary.

Maria took a deep calming breath before straightening back upright. She plastered an obviously fake smile on her face. "Well, since _you_ won't do anything, I'll come back in later."

"They'll tell you the same thing."

Ignoring him, she turned and headed back to the station doors. "And by the way, I'll make sure to mention the station's pet behaves badly and is very poorly trained. You all should consider just getting rid of him."

Manic's ears folded and his shoulders drooped. While he knew he wasn't a pet anymore, hearing her words was a blow to his confidence. He'd been working so hard to get to the point where he was. There was still a mountain to climb, but what awaited him at the end of that path was going to be worth it. To hear what the human had said stung painfully.

Trying (and failing) to hold his tears in, he swiftly retreated to the stairwell. He galloped up the stairs two at a time, and raced into the bunk room. He hopped up on the bed with the lump on it and began to dig at them to unearth the hedgehog.

Sonic whined, pulling himself out of his nest. He pawed at his eyes, trying to force himself to wake up. He could only yip when a warm body collided with his chest and clung to him. Confused arms lightly wrapped around the green boar and held him. The gentle touch was enough to set Manic off, allowing the tears to finally flow.

The boar didn't stop until the tears ran out. Sonic, once he woke up enough to realise what was going on, held him the entire time. He spent most of it stroking the droopy emerald quills, but occasionally his paw moved up to the wilted ears to tweak and rub.

When the sobs subsided, Sonic spoke. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Manic hiccuped softly. "B… Bad…"

"No you're not." The blue boar gently pried the other off his chest and ran a thumb over a tear streaked cheeks. "Did something happen?"

"Lie...she caught." Green quills drooped further. It only lasted for a moment before they flared up in anger. "He ask! She _bad_."

"Who is?" A small confused frown curled over Sonic's face as he tried to puzzle out what the other was meaning. "It's okay. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly. Tell me what happened. "

Manic sniffled, doing as asked. It took a few tries before he could speak clearly. "Lady come. Want say she bad, no go. I lie. She caught."

Fur bristled at those words. Panic filled him, snapping him to full alertness. He hadn't expected her to try and get him back so soon!

"Did she leave? Is he still…?"

"Sha-ad still here. Can't get. Esp said week end."

Blue eyes watched Sonic for several seconds before Manic leaned back in. He tucked his muzzle under the other's. "We need go home. Safe."

Sonic nodded, pawing at one eye. Now that his fears had been soothed, his mind began trying to work out things again. "What time is it?"

"After seven."

A curse slipped from the blue hedgehog's lips . He kicked the blankets off, and skittered to the bathroom. Manic moved, and stretched out over the bed once the other was gone to stay out of the way. Sonic emerged a few minutes later, trying to smooth the wrinkles out of his sleep ruffled shirt. Feeling more awake now, he grabbed his jacket from the hook on the back of the door.

"Wanna get ready to go?" He asked, pulling his jacket on. A pair of gloves were retrieved from the pocket.

Manic nodded and stood, shaking himself off, before hopping down. He followed Sonic all the way down the stairs before cutting off to head to the lockers.

"Hey." The chameleon called out, as Sonic passed his desk.

Sonic stopped mid-step, looking towards the reptile. "Whu? What's up Espio?"

Espio held up an envelope between two fingers. "Cap said to give you this when you got up."

Curious, Sonic stepped backwards to the desk to take the offered envelope. He turned it in his paws and flipped open the flap. Contained inside were several bills and a quickly jotted note. That was pulled out so Sonic could read.

/Advancing you the fostering fund, so you can buy the supplies you need. Take good care of him./

A little smile curved Sonic's lips. He put the note back into the envelope, before tucking it into the inner pocket of his jacket for safekeeping. "Thanks, Esp."

The chameleon lifted his head a little in acknowledgement, not looking away from his work. Sonic left him be, heading towards the drunk tank. He stopped in front of it, noting that it looked empty. He knew better though, as he could _feel_ those eyes burning into him.

Watching.

Waiting.

Resisting the urge to cower, he cleared his throat. "Hey uhm… did Manic tell you we've found a place for you to stay?"

Silence was his only answer.

Undeterred, he continued. "I can't take you home immediately, there's things I need to get for your stay. But…"

Sonic shuffled his feet, feeling awkward about speaking to "thin air". He knew the hedgehog was there, but that didn't stop the feeling. He also knew the other wasn't going to like what he was going to say next. "To get you home, we need to be able to transport you in a crate."

The blankets twitched violently; the "feral" clearly not pleased with what he was hearing.

"But I promise that after this, no more crates!"Sonic said hastily. "I have a room for you."

There was no reaction to the unspoken promise. He was aggravated by this. He just didn't understand why Shadow wouldn't drop the charade. He supposed he could continue to play along with it...for now.

"I would...appreciate it if you cooperated with the officers while..." An idea popped up in his mind. "Would you like Manic to stay with you?"

Still no response.

"I can ask him, if you tell me to." The blue hedgehog fiddled with the cuff of his glove. "If I don't get a response, he's coming with me."

Silence descended, thick and uncomfortable. The blankets stirred a little as the dark one thought over the words. It was clear he was pretty torn on them.

"I'd like an answer, please. I really need to get going."

Finally, the darker one emerged from the blankets. He stretched and yawned widely before shaking himself off. He sat himself down on the pile of blankets, watching. Guarded rubies blinked slowly, their gaze focused at some point beyond the blue hedgehog. He remained absolutely stoic.

"Well?"Sonic winced at his tone. It came out far sharper than he intended.

Green eyes observed Shadow carefully, trying to read his body language. The other's stare was glazed over, like the kind one adopts when they were listening to someone but had completely checked out of the conversation. His whole body was tense, almost as if expecting a blow…

A lightbulb went off in Sonic's mind. He was, right now, showing Shadow he was no better than the humans who had 'tamed' him were. The blue boar sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his muzzle. "It's too early for this. I'm sorry."

Dark ears twitched before the body relaxed. It was just a fraction, but it seemed the apology had a positive effect on him. Nothing was said, however.

"Okay, I need to leave now." Sonic bowed his head. "I'll see you at home."

Manic was waiting on him when he emerged back into the lobby. The boar had seated himself on the bench beside the door. His tail thumped lightly as he wagged it. "Ready go?"

A weary smile spread over a peach muzzle. "Yeah. We need to do a little shopping first, though."

The green boar hopped down to the ground. He sat back on his back feet, and pulled the gloves out of the vest pocket. He pulled them on, but not before making a face.

Sonic knelt, grabbing the leash and attaching the clasp to the D-ring on the back of Manic's vest. "Do you think you can pick out some things he'll like?"

"Yes!" Manic chirped, bouncing a little. "Go!"

"Alright, alright." Sonic laughed lightly, relaxing just a little. He ruffled Manic's quills lightly. "Let's go!"

* * *

Shadow was left alone for the most part. He was old news amongst the day shift, they didn't try to pester him nor did he threaten the ones that were walking by. The only reactions they got from him is if they stopped and lingered, and most just hurried on their way when the dark boar growled lightly.

He enjoyed this solitude.

"I can't believe we're carting him to someone's house."

A dark ear flickered at the voice. He lifted his head off his paws, looking for the source of it. There was a tone to it that instantly set him on edge.

Two humans moved into the hallway. Red eyes watched them warily. His lip turned up, revealing sharp teeth, when they stopped in front of his cell.

The smaller of the two sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Realizing what was up, he stood on all fours. Dark quills flared in an attempt to intimidate them. A snarl danced on his lips, daring them to set foot inside.

"Would you look at that, the beast understands us." The larger human said as he pulled on a pair of thick gloves.

Without warning, Shadow pounced. He hit the bars separating him from the humans hard enough to rattle the door. Sharp claws flashed as he slashed through the bars. His voice rose in a high scream.

The two humans stepped back, startled by the sudden attack. The larger of the two frowned deeply. "Of course this one acts up. I'm going to get the catch pole out of the truck."

The smaller eyed the dark boar, with those sharp teeth and sharp claws. "Y-yeah, that might be for the best."

Shadow threw himself back from the bars. Quills fluffed, he paced the length of the cell like a cornered animal. To him, anything was better than a crate. He'd fight to his last breath to avoid going back into one. Ruby eyes watched every move the humans made. It was when the other left that the smaller one spoke.

"The captain said you were smart. Can you do us a favor and just... get in the crate?" The human looked over the 'feral' mobian for any sign of understanding his words. Finding none, he sighed. "I don't like using catch poles, or force. I want to make this as stress free as possible for all of us."

All he got in response to his soft words was a blank look. Shadow was very good at playing dumb when he needed to.

The taller returned with a long pole. On one end of it was a noose. Shadow chuffed at the sight of it and backed away from the bars.

"Seems like the beast knows what this is." The larger human flashed a grin down at the smaller. "I bet I can grab him in three tries."

Guarded eyes followed the human's motions, maneuvering the pole around in the hallway to insert it between the bars. It took a bit, but he eventually managed to thread it through, but it was a bit awkward.

The first attempt only caught air as the dark one nimbly dodged out of the way. The second one grabbed quills, but shadow pulled free.

The third one got the rope noose to hook around Shadow's muzzle. He clamped down reflexively on it, intending to yank it out of the human's hands. The human was faster though, tightening the noose. The rope clamped down over his upper jaw, blocking the airflow through his nose.

Shadow panicked, trying to twist away. The human held onto the bucking pole as best he could. He was going to wait out the struggling for the darker tire. It was a battle wills and the human wasn't about to lose. The darker kicked and leaped, yanking the pole around.

To his luck, his actions caused the butt of the pole to buck in reaction. One leap in particular made the butt swing around, catching the larger human in the jaw. The shock of the blow momentarily slackened his hold, which was all Shadow needed.

The pole was yanked into the cell, away from the humans. With no one to hold onto the other end of the noose, it slackened enough to free Shadow's muzzle. It came off with a little pawing. The dark boar kicked the pole towards the back, far out of reach of either human. He hunkered down, bearing all his teeth in a vicious snarl.

"I'm gonna shoot him." The larger human spat a wad of blood on the ground. "I swear it. I'm gonna get my gun."

" _No you're not_." The smaller said firmly, glaring at the other. " _I'm_ going to go get the poke stick."

Shadow's ears twisted back aggressively. He knew exactly what it was they were about to use on him, and he was not pleased. His eyes flicked around the cell, looking for any possible escape route, or safe zone. He found none.

"You _stay put_." The smaller human turned and headed back out into the lobby.

The larger frowned after the other. Now that he was gone, his full attention was turned towards the dark boar. He cracked his knuckles threateningly. "You're lucky someone took your worthless ass in. If you came to my Pound, I'd make sure you were met with an... _unfortunate_ incident. One you wouldn't survive."

Sharp teeth clicked as Shadow flexed his jaw threateningly. He didn't appreciate being threatened.

"Animals like you don't deserve to be given a chance. They should just put you stupid beasts out of your miserable existence."

The bars rattled as Shadow lunged again. One arm slipped through the bars, aiming for the human's face. To his surprise, his attack was sidestepped easily. The human had been expecting the attack. A surprisingly strong grip locked onto Shadow's wrist and yanked him forwards.

Shadow hit the bars with a yelp. He struggled a bit, but his shoulder was in just such a way that he couldn't get leverage. The claws on his captured paw could do nothing to the other, thanks to the gloves he was wearing. He swung with his other arm, trying desperately to break free.

The human easily avoided the wild swing, and moved so he was out of range. His free hand settled on Shadow's elbow. "I should break this. It'd be so easy."

Fearful, Shadow squirmed, trying to pull away. Unfortunately for him, the human held on, not giving him any escape route.

"Not so brave now, are ya?" The human sneered. He applied a little pressure to the elbow, earning himself a pitiful whine. "If I did this, you'd be put down. We wouldn't need to spend our hard earned money trying to save a stupid, aggressive beast. All I'd need to do is just apply a little more pressure..."

"Don't you dare."

The dark boar never thought he'd be relieved to see a human. The shorter white pole the other brought in made the relief short lived, however.

"C'mon, we both can see it's for the best." The larger human huffed. "He's feral. Unsavable."

"It's not our place to decide that." The smaller human leaned the pole against the wall, and set down the case in his other hand on the floor. He joined it after a moment. "Remove your hand from his elbow, but don't let go. I can inject him like that."

The human opened the case and withdrew a little clear vial. A syringe followed suit. The cap was swiftly removed, and the needle inserted in the soft rubber top on the vial. It was turned upside down and the plunger slowly drawn back. Clear liquid was drawn into the barrel. Once he got it to the right amount, he withdrew the needle and set about getting the air out with taps and gentle pushes of the plunger. The cap was placed lightly over the needle.

Shadow screamed when the human stood back up. He kicked at the bars uselessly in an attempt to drive the other off. He tried desperately to yank his arm back when an alcohol pad rubbed on a spot on his bicep. When it was removed, the needle followed suit. The tranquilizer burned like fire as it was injected.

The larger human let the arm go, allowing shadow to yank it back. Shadow retreated to the back of his cell to nurse his wound. "C'mon, let's go get a bite while that kicks in."

The boar watched them leave. He slunk down onto his blankets, shaken from the experience. The sheer relief of his arm not being broken, coupled with the tranquilizer working its way through his veins, left him feeling weak. It wouldn't be long before the tranquilizer forced him to sink into slumber.

He hoped that maybe, just maybe, the blue hedgehog would be keeping his promise...


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note- Hello and hello again! Sorry for the lateness of this! I'm glad that I was able to make it in time for my update window, even though it's so close to closing. I just wanted to say even if I don't answer PMs or reviews (between busy life and anxiety), I do appreciate every single one I get. They mean the world to me to know people are enjoying what I do.

Anyways enough sappiness, you came here to read the update, not my rambling! So I'll leave you to it, my dear readers! Enjoy!

* * *

The sun climbed high into the sky as the two hedgehogs shopped. It took quite some time to go to from shop to shop to order things to be delivered, and getting some things they could carry home immediately. It was a costly endeavor, but it would be worth it in the end. It was just after the sun began its descent in the sky that they boarded the bus that would be taking them towards home.

It was surprisingly emptier than one would expect for being the late lunch. It gave the pair plenty of choice seats, thankfully.

Manic approached one of the long bench-like seats and placed the bag he'd been carrying up on it. He was swift to join it. Sonic's own bags joined Manic's before he sat down beside the other. Manic happily flopped down in the seat, getting comfortable as the bus started back up.

A peachy paw settled behind one green ear, giving it a gentle scratch. A soft, happy sigh answered it, along with a purr. The green boar was so excited to get a new housemate that shopping, an activity he normally disliked, was exhilarating. Nothing could ruin this day, as far as he was concerned.

Across the aisle, one of the humans cast them a dark look. He kept his gaze on the two mobians as he spoke to the woman sitting beside him.

"Can you believe it, Molly? Animals! On the city bus!"

One green ear flickered in the human's direction, but it was the only sign to show that they had heard him. Manic shifted a little, letting the quills spread out to show aggravation. Sonic was quick to respond, lacing his fingers into the quills to soothe both of their nerves.

"If it were me, they'd all be collared and licensed. And sitting on the floor.

The blue boar scrunched his face, biting his tongue. This wasn't the first time he'd faced this on the bus and he knew it wouldn't be the last either. He'd learned to ignore it for the most part, but Manic on the other hand...

"It's okay." Sonic murmured, working his fingers in deeper to scratch gently. "Don't listen to him."

Manic's ears tilted back. His muzzle wrinkled, showing his teeth, but he thankfully didn't start growling. Brown eyes flitted towards the human, but wouldn't fully look at him. He chuffed to show his aggravation.

"It's ridiculous," the man continued loudly. His companion looked distinctly uncomfortable. "What's this world coming to? This is such dark times..."

Sonic's own ears twisted backwards, but otherwise did not react. As a member of the police force, and as a representative for mobians, he needed to be on his best behavior. His arm dropped to loop around his brother's shoulders, drawing him closer.

The green boar huffed a second time, but laid his head over Sonic's thigh. He turned his attention towards the back of the bus. To all the world, he appeared to be ignoring the couple. The ear turned towards them however, betrayed his interest.

The human continued to prattle on to his companion, who was looking more and more distressed. She shyly looked to the mobians and offered them a sympathetic smile, but did not stop him.

Sighing softly to himself, Sonic did his best to not pay attention to them. He wished this was an uncommon occurrence, but sadly this was an every day thing. Usually people weren't this blatant with it. Dirty looks, feet or bags blocking seats, or even straight up ignoring were what he normally faced. Those he could brush off; abuse like this was much harder to do so.

Two stops into their journey, a large group of people climbed aboard. Most of them were older humans, which set the blue hedgehog on edge. He tried not to judge, but usually the older ones were the ones that made the biggest deals over mobians. They spread out into smaller groups throughout the bus.

He _really_ hoped that the loudmouth wasn't about to whip up a mob.

Sure enough, now that he had an audience, he doubled down on his ranting. The poor girl with him slunk down in her seat, looking like she wanted to disappear.

"We shouldn't be wasting our tax money trying to rehab those animals. They're useless and will always be to society. They should just be put down."

The entirety of the bus fell silent. All eyes fell onto the only two mobians on the bus, awaiting to see if there was a reaction. Sonic shifted uncomfortably as old, buried memories tried to resurface. Memories of a time long ago with hundred of strangers.

Watching.

Waiting.

Panic began to rise in the back of his mind. Quills bristled despite his best effort to quell the feeling. Fingers curled further into Manic's fur, but he wasn't sure whether it was to keep his brother calm, or to stop him from doing something he'd regret later.

The tension in the air was so thick, and something was about to break. He feared it might be him...

Everyone was nearly thrown from their seats as the bus abruptly braked. The gazes turned to the young lady that had been sitting with the man released the call cord from her grasp and nodded for the hedgehogs to rise.

Manic made a confused noise when Sonic nudged his head off. But he obediently hopped down and followed the blue hedgehog's lead, grabbing his bag when Sonic did. The man stood as well.

"Sit down, Leon." the woman said icily.

"But you're gettin-"

"I said, _sit down_."

The sharp tone got him to do exactly that. He stared up at her, and Sonic swore he saw a faint glint of fear in his eyes.

"Do not call me, do not show up at my door. We're done."

She turned away from him and ushered the two mobians out of the bus. They were quick to take her up on the offer, glad for the escape. No sooner than the three of them were off the bus did the door slam shut and the bus peel out.

The bags got deposited on a nearby bench. Sonic sat down heavily beside them, resiting the increasingly strong urge to cradle his head. His nerves were shot, and he needed time to try and gather back what little he had. He leaned back on the bench, breathing slowly an deeply. Manic paced nearby, finally free to work out some of the agitation.

Both of them were keenly aware of the girl sitting on the far side of the bench, a respectable distance away from them.

Sensing Sonic's distress, Manic stopped in front of him. When there was no response, a gloved paw reached out and settled on Sonic's knee. He lightly headbutted Sonic and whined.

The blue hedgehog yipped in surprise, not expecting the touch. He looked down at the other and offered a weak smile. He reached down and scratched behind one perked ear. "You did good."

"Feel?" he didn't even bother to try and hide the worry in his voice.

Sonic's smile softened. He ruffled the green bangs. "I'll be fine in a few. Thank you, though."

An amicable silence stretched between the two as Sonic recovered. Manic hopped up on the bench and leaned against him, giving him support.

"...I'm sorry I didn't speak up sooner."

Both hedgehogs looked towards the woman. She was scrubbing lightly at her cheeks, trying futilely to hide the fact she'd been crying.

"He knew.. He knew I'm training to be a foster." she clarified with a sniffle. "I didn't realise he was that bad. I thought I could... change him."

It took more effort than Sonic cared to admit to keep from telling her off. He'd met more than enough stubborn folks that seemed decent, only to turn out like him. They couldn't be changed. He chose his words carefully. "Then I guess it's a good thing you found this out beforehand?"

"He seemed so on board with fostering before this though..."

"Sometimes people are very good at hiding who they are." the words slipped out before he could stop them. Clearing his throat, he tried to save face and continue. "I'm glad you're getting out of that situation before it hurt your chances."

"..Me too." she sighed and looked down at her left hand. The ring on it was slipped off. "...I'm sorry he did that to you, neither of you deserved that. I wish the both of you luck."

With that, she stood and quickly left. Sonic watched her go, feeling a bit bad for her. It always sucked to learn these kinds of things about someone you loved..

It was some time before Sonic felt up to getting back on the way home. They still needed to hike to the next bus stop, and then endure that ride as well.

Sonic _really_ hoped there were no more incidents today...

* * *

Sonic never felt more relieved to see his house.

While there were no more incidents, the blue boar's nerves were shot. He really wanted nothing more than to fix a meal and collapse into bed for a while. Manic bound ahead to unlock the door, abandoning his bags to rush inside.

The blue hedgehog followed along behind at a more leisurely pace. They still had time to set up, after all. The newest resident wasn't due for another few hours, even with the bus delay. He could fix a quick meal and nap until then.

His bags joined Manic's as he peered inside. A large metallic carrier had been wedged into his living room between the sofa and the coffee table, facing away from the entrance. Manic was hovering by the crate door, making worried noises.

"No move!" he trilled, eying the latches. "But breathe!"

"Give him some space." the blue boar sighed, shucking his jacket and tossing it on the sofa. "And open the door for him."

Sonic waited until he made it into the kitchen to rub his face. He worked through his aggravation by angrily putting away the groceries and rearranging the things they had on hand so that there were enough plates for both of the other mobians to reach. All he wanted was a little break before the new foster turned his life upside down. But as much as he wanted a nap, he was just going to have to grin and bear it until bed. Hopefully the new arrival would settle in quickly and they could finally get some rest.

Some of the anger dissipated when he took a moment to peer back into the living room. During his little cleaning rampage, Manic had retrieved one of the big heavy blankets and draped it over the carrier sides, blocking out light and making it dark inside. The green hedgehog was currently nested on the sofa in his favorite blanket, keeping an eye on the still, dark form inside the crate. Worry was clearly written all over the green boar's face.

Ducking back into the kitchen, he finally began on something to eat. Remembering the dark boar's previous diet, he chose to make a quick dish; something to help them to slowly start integrating real food into Shadow's diet. It wasn't going to be fun, but he hoped he wouldn't fight as hard as Manic had to keep the dry kibble.

Rice was brought to a boil on the stove and allowed to cook. When it was ready, it was dished out into the three heavy plastic bowls. Butter, sugar, and milk was added to only two of them (the green and blue bowls) while leaving the red one plain. Right now Shadow needed bland food to help his body recover. But thankfully, this was a dish Manic loved so it would be okay to eat for a few nights in a row.

Sonic thought a moment before adding a spoon in all three bowls. Whether or not Shadow knew how to use one wasn't what he should question. From what he'd seen it might mean more to the darker if he were treated as a mobian rather than a feral. He might not understand why he was hiding it, but it might help sway him towards trusting.

He carried out the plain and one of the "cereal" bowls into the living room. The plain one was set on the coffee table, and the other passed to his brother. He retrieved the other out of the kitchen before settling on the far end of the sofa to eat with his sibling and wait.

* * *

The first thing the dark hedgehog noticed was that it was far quieter than it had been before he passed out. The air was still, cooler than where he had been previously. The only scents he could pick up of creatures around were hedgehogs... which was strangely comforting to him.

He tried to focus on the words being said. His mind could tell that it was no normal conversation. But then...what was it?

"If there's a knock?" Shadow didn't recognize this voice.

"No peek. Come get." This one he did; it belonged to the green hedgehog that had been so friendly to him in the previous place.

"And if I happen to not be here?" Shadow frowned, why were these questions being asked, anyways?

"Room! Wait!"

The black and red hedgehog stirred, clumsily trying to get his feet under him. His limbs felt slow and responsive; a side effect of being drugged he was sure. But he eventually managed to get his feet and paws to a place where he could stand.

"What if you recognize the voice and they ask to be let in?"

What was with these stupid questions anyways?

The answer got tuned out as Shadow focused on balancing. He tried to take a step forwards, but as soon as he put weight on his injured leg, it gave. He collapsed with a surprised yelp before retreating to the back of the dark carrier. The pain was a great wake up call, leaving him mostly alert.

And very afraid.

With so many environment changes in the last 48 hours, it messed with his sense of togetherness. He felt lost. And so very, very alone. The only solace he'd had was the green hedgehog who'd been so kind to him in the police station. And really, it was the first act of kindness he'd had bestowed upon him in what felt like years.

Shaking those thoughts away, he pressed further against the back when he heard shuffling. He made sure to keep his injured leg between himself and the carrier; no need to expose such a weakness.

The blanket covering the exit moved, revealing the blue hedgehog. Shadow hissed in warning, half expecting him to crawl into the small space. He'd make the blue hedgehog regret doing so if he dared...

"Hey," Sonic spoke softly. "I was wondering when you'd wake up."

Shadow didn't respond, other than to stare at him. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The blue hedgehog shifted uncomfortably, trying to quell the fear of those striking ruby eyes...

Sonic finally broke eye contact, ducking his head down and away. The goal right now wasn't to establish dominance, but to coax him out. Staring at him wasn't gonna do anything more than get him more worked up. He cleared his throat to speak once more.

"If... If you wanna come out, I can show you to your room. Just like I promised."

He watched the black hedgehog out of the corner of his eye. The usually resting, neutral ears were perked forwards, showing interest. For the first time since they took him into custody, he saw a gleam in Shadow's eyes. Pushing forwards, he continued.

"There's also food out here. It's only rice, but once the delivery guy gets here, there'll be more for you to eat." Sonic moved back away from the entrance. He flipped the blanket up, allowing light into the crate. "I wanted to start you off with easy foods. No more of that kibble."

The dark one's aggressive stance dropped somewhat. Those eye remained sharp and wary, but there was something in them now that wasn't there before. Sonic wondered if it was perhaps...trust beginning to form?

He straightened up and spoke to someone out of Shadow's sight. "Let him come out on his own time, okay? I'm gonna go clean the kitchen."

When Sonic left, the green hedgehog on the sofa crawled closer, so he could peer in better. "Awake!"

The dark one waited until he could hear Sonic knocking around in the kitchen before quietly nodding his head. He smacked his lips, noting his mouth felt as dry as cotton. He ran his paw over his muzzle and yipped when it came into contact with the lacerations from this morning. even though it'd been several hours by now, it was still incredibly sore and a little swollen. He vaguely wondered if it was going to bruise...

"Water?" he finally croaked once he unstuck his tongue from his mouth.

A peach paw pointed to the coffee table, where two red bowls and a red plastic cup sat. It was at a height where he could easily access them without help. Remembering the injured leg, he kept most of the weight off of it as he limped out of the crate. He settled in front of the items and studied them.

One of the bowls was the promised rice, though at the moment eating wasn't on his mind. The plastic cup and the other bowl held fresh water. Shadow raised one paw, trying to decide if he was dexterous enough at the moment to use the the cup. He might not show it outwardly at the moment, but the fact the option (just like the fact the rice had a spoon in it) was there made him thankful.

"No break, easy clean!" Manic piped up, wondering if the hesitation was because it wasn't actual glass. "All use!"

Shadow nodded, seeing the logic. Glass was a danger for them all and accidents could happen. He tried to grab the cup but found his coordination made him miss. Two more attempts yielded similar results.

Pouting a little, he looked back to the bowl. As much as he didn't want to, it was quickly making it clear that it was his only option. While it was embarrassing to drink this way again when a more civilized option was available, he felt it was worth it to help whet his mouth.

He dipped his muzzle into the bowl enough to drink quietly, minimizing the humiliation. The cool, crisp water was almost like ambrosia to his desert mouth. He drank and drank until the water was too low to do so. He contemplated refilling the bowl but decided against it.

Now that his thirst was slaked, the rice smelled delicious. He wanted to eat, as he hadn't had any real food in a long time, but he wasn't about to eat as he had drank. He'd had to do enough of it throughout his life now that he outright refused. If he couldn't use the spoon, he wouldn't eat at all.

He could feel the other boar watching him, as if waiting for something. Shadow opened his mouth to speak-

A loud knocking interrupted him. Alarmed, his head whipped towards the crate. For a split second, he thought of ducking back in it. His mind revolted the thought immediately, encouraging him to look elsewhere to hide. Casting his panicked gaze towards the hall, he noticed one door was wide open. He tore down the hall and into the room.

A cursory glance of the room let him know it was freshly done. Boxes still rested on the far side, not even fully unpacked. What caught his attention though was the large black structure that hogged a large portion of one wall. It was a bed at first glance, but Shadow knew immediately it was meant for mobians that preferred burrowing. The mattress was off the ground, with a singular large hole in the base. One could either sleep on the mattress on top, or choose to sleep within the hollow underneath. He could see that it was already decked out with red bedding on the mattress and inside the artificial burrow.

It was a perfect hiding spot.

* * *

Sonic sighed, putting away the last of the delivered food. He felt a little better now that there were foods here that Shadow could get on his own without supervision. Establishing independence early was a good thing for any foster and he really hoped that Shadow would jump on it.

He felt a little bad that the new roommate freaked out at the food delivery. He hoped it was mostly because just so much had went on in the last two days. He'd resisted the urge to bolt himself when it'd startled him.

Now that the day was slowing, his exhaustion was catching up. He'd worry about an actual, proper cooked meal in the morning. Now that the food was here, and Shadow was out of the crate, he could finally rest properly. The crate he would break down to be picked up some time tomorrow.

A peachy paw pawed at his eyes. He headed towards his bedroom, almost tripping over the green hedgehog who'd planted himself in front of Shadow's open door.

He smiled at the boar. "Hey, we've all had long few days, and your therapist is coming tomorrow, what do you say we call it a day early?"

Manic whined, casting a glance towards the dark bed, where he knew Shadow must be hiding. "But..."

"He's okay, Manic. Probably just overstimulated with everything that's happened." Sonic lightly scratched one of Manic's ears. An idea occurred to him. "...Would you like to sleep on the bed with me?"

Normally he didn't want to encourage this at home, but he needed to make sure Manic slept, as well as give Shadow some quiet time. Perhaps even time to explore the house on his own. Knowing he was gonna get to share a bed, the green one scurried off to go get ready for bed.

Now that he was alone, Sonic leaned into Shadow's room. "Hey, uhm...I'm only doing this tonight. Your room is yours. We can only come in an emergency or with permission. There's food in the kitchen you can get, and your rice is in the red container in the fridge. You have run of the house, but all I ask is you please don't answer the door. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

He got no response, but he didn't expect one honestly. He grabbed the doorknob and quietly shut the door. Now that the distraction was taken care of, he finished his journey into the bedroom. He undressed and tossed the clothing into the hamper. His night pants were swiftly retrieved and slid on. He wanted to sleep in the burrow part but he needed to be alert, just in case. He'd sleep too hard in there if he did and his brother joined him.

So he crawled up onto the bed and flopped into the blankets. His mind was already trying to drift into slumber land when he was finally joined by the green hedgehog. Manic stretched out beside him, before using his chest as a pillow.

"H-hey, off!" he flustered a little, squirming.

"No. Stay. Sleep." Manic huffed back, curling his paws into Sonic's fur gently.

Knowing there was no winning against the other (the little bit of difference in their weight gave the green one a big edge), he grumbled and made himself as comfy as he could.

"...Love you." Manic murmured, closing his eyes.

"Love you, too." Sonic responded back with no hesitation. His arm lightly settled around Manic, drawing him in close.

As Sonic nodded off, he couldn't help but to hope for a good day tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's note_ :** Hello and welcome back! It's the 2 year anniversary of posting this version of Cirque! It's been a bit of a bumpy ride, but we've made it this far! Here's to another chapter, and for many more to come!

On another note, I just want to say that I love everyone who enjoys this, whether they choose to say something or not. Just knowing that people enjoy my work and take the time out of their day to read it means so, so much to me. To every reader out there; thank you!

And with that, I leave you all to enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 ** _BREEP BREEP BREEP_**

The blue boar whined, tucking his head further under the pillow. It was far too early, why was it even going off, he didn't set it di-

 _ **BREEP BREEP BREEP**_

There had to be a reason he set it, wasn't there? What was it, he needed to think but the alarm was just so loud an-

 _ **BREEP BREEP BRE**_ -

Sonic had to take a few moments to let go of his alarm clock to avoid hurling it across the room. The blanket pooled around his waist as he sat up, holding his pounding head. He felt like he'd drank way too much the night before, despite having had nothing.

Now that there was blessed silence, he could try and think why he had set it in the first place...

A peachy paw rubbed at his eyes, trying to help himself wake up. He glanced at the calendar, hoping that perhaps it would jog his memory? Today had to be important in some way, because he usually slept in on his days off.

Maybe coffee would help him wake up better? The blue hedgehog moved to get out of bed and nearly fell on his face as the blankets refused to let him out. Carefully pulling himself back up, he turned to see what almost caused him to face-plant.

Curled tightly in the blankets was the nesting green boar, still obliviously asleep. The sheet was half wrapped around Sonic too, which would explain why it didn't move with all of the other's dead weight.

Sonic carefully disentangled himself from the sheet to keep from waking up the sleeping boar, half wondering why he was there. He barely remembered inviting him to bed last night, and certainly didn't remember the reason why...

It was only after he saw the closed door in the hallway that made his brain click. That was right, he had taken in an emergency foster after rescuing him. The last few days had been rough on his memory, it seemed. They needed to get back into routine, as quick as possible. It'd help the new foster settle in quickly, even if he was only going to be here for a couple of weeks.

He passed the closed bedroom and into the bathroom, ready for a nice, relaxing shower. He should be able to function better after one, right?

The sight that awaited Sonic gave him pause. The shower curtain was pulled half way across the tub, and the red towel he was just _sure_ he'd left in the closet beside Manic's green ones was hanging up on the rack inside the shower. Quills splayed in nerves, he approached the shower curtain and moved it back. The soap was out of the dish, and the temperature had definitely been moved from the setting he and Manic used.

Had...Had their foster used the shower?

Sonic ran his paw over the towel, finding it mostly dry. If he had, it'd been some time ago, as the basin wasn't wet. This was even more confusing to the blue hedgehog, as it'd taken some time to train Manic on how to use the shower (and even then there were some issues with putting away items used, but it was still a work in progress). He'd have to worry about this later, it was far too early to try and figure out this kind of stuff. He really needed this shower.

Once he moved the knob to the right temperature (who took baths on the absolute hottest setting anyways?) and turned the faucet on, he stepped away long enough to retrieve his blue towel from the closet. After thinking a moment, he also got Manic's green one and set it on the counter. He'd harass Manic about getting one after the other boar woke up.

Once the water was hot enough, Sonic was quick in washing up. He wasn't one to linger much in the shower; just long enough to clean up and help himself wake up. A quick shake and toweling got him mostly dry once the water was flicked off.

Now that he was more awake thanks to the shower, it still didn't really jog his memory of why he set his alarm. He'd worry about it after he fixed breakfast for the three of them.

Something felt off to him as he wandered through the living room to the kitchen. Everything _looked_ okay, and yet...

He shook his head; it was very possible it was just the tiredness messing with him still. The shower had helped, but there was still that burning mystery of why he'd set an alarm on a day off.

It was stepping in the kitchen that gave him the epiphany of what it was. A large note was attached to the fridge door, in his own chicken scratch scrawl.

"Helen 10 am"

"Oh, right." he murmured to himself, heading to the fridge. "The therapist is coming today."

Now that that was settled in his mind, he could concentrate on getting food ready. He hummed to himself, opening the fridge to go over his options. It needed to be something else gentle, as he worked foods into the newcomer's diet; just as he had Manic's when he first came into his care.

The first thing he noticed was the red container of rice he'd put in there last night, left over from their house guest's uneaten, was missing. He frowned, looking over his shoulder towards the sink. Sure enough, he could see the container set in the drain, water droplets glimmering on the surface from the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Just what was going on here?

Trying not to think about it too much, he returned to the fridge, looking at the contents. The carton of eggs caught his eye before a small smile came to his face. Scrambled eggs and toast sounded wonderful. It'd be easy on the new foster's stomach, yet still delicious enough for both himself and Manic to enjoy too.

He retrieved the carton and set it by the stove, before digging out the frying pan. The stove was turned on and butter got dropped in to begin melting as he set up to start fixing toast to go with it.

It didn't take long before the scent of a delicious breakfast drew the green boar out of slumber. Ha ambled into the kitchen and climbed up onto his chair, pawing at his eyes and sniffing the air loudly.

Sonic, by this point, was fully vested in cooking. He didn't turn his attention away from the pan, instead cocking his ear in Manic's direction.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'." the answer was more of a grunt than than a word.

"It's still going tot be a bit before food's ready. Enough time for you to bathe." the blue boar carefully ran the spatula over the mixture, dragging the egg curds to one side of the pan.

"No bath." still a grunt, but he was sounding more awake now at least. "Tired."

"I know you're tired, but it'll help you wake up. You can shower instead." the toaster popped, and Sonic grabbed the bread, dropping it onto the place with the four other slices. Two more were placed in the toaster. "Everything's already laid out for you in the bathroom."

"No shower." Manic's chin dropped to the table, intent to not move from his comfortable position.

"You gotta today, it's special." Sonic tilted his head, running the spatula the other way across the pan. "Helen's coming in a bit, so..."

Manic's ears flagged. "Today?"

"Yes, but later. Go wash up and then put things away."

The green boar happily hopped down and, with a bit of pep in his step, headed for the bathroom to do as requested.

Sonic turned his attention fully back on the food, but listening for Manic to do as requested. He smiled softly when he heard the water, and then the shower turn on, letting him know he was doing as asked. he tilted the pan again and, satisfied with the consistency, scraped them into the awaiting bowl. He set it on the table and turned the blue plate over top of it to keep them warm. The last two pieces of toast popped out of the toaster, right on time.

They were retrieved and set on the table with the butter and, after a moment's thought, two of the jams kept in the fridge joined it all on the table.

The blue boar paused, listening. The shower was no longer running but he could hear Manic's claws clicking on the tile. He tapped on the bathroom door as he passed, letting Manic know to head into the kitchen when he was done. He stopped in front of Shadow's door and hesitated.

Last night still burned in his mind. It was a less than stellar start to everything, but he supposed it was what it was. It was still better than the disaster of a first night he'd had with Manic...

He reached up and gently knocked on the door. "Shadow?"

Movement was heard within the room, but there was no answering call. Maybe it meant he was awake? He could only hope; he did promise he'd never enter the room outside of an emergency. And this was far from an emergency.

Sonic cleared his throat and rose his voice enough to carry well through the closed door. "I fixed scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, if you'd like to come out and join us. If not, I can bring you a plate after we eat? Afterwards, we'll be having a guest over, and you can stay in your room if you'd prefer."

The boar listened to the movement in the room, trying to determine what the other was doing. When the sound stopped but nothing happened, he sighed softly. Can't expect miracles on the first day, and all that jazz.

He turned away from the other's room and paced back towards the kitchen, almost colliding with Manic as he exited the bathroom, freshly showered and still just a little damp. Sonic paused just long enough tot peer into the bathroom behind the other and was pleased to find the soaps stored on their dish and the towel hanging beside his blue one and the red one.

His ear tilted back, catching the faint creek of the bedroom door opening. It took everything he had to not look back, almost afraid it'd send the other skittering back into his room like a terrified mouse. He kept his eyes forwards and focused on the thought of the warm breakfast awaiting them.

He got to the table shortly after the green hedgehog, finding he'd already claimed two slices of toast. In his paws, he as clumsily handling the spoon for the jam. Sonic fought against the urge to help him. It'd taken a long time to convince him to do simple things like this and things were still super shaky in doing so. He didn't need him to backslide and begin relying on him all over again.

Sonic took a seat and flipped his plate off the bowl. It was mildly damp but he didn't care. Since the jam was being used, he went ahead and served himself up the eggs. The spoon got dropped back into the jar once the boar was finished trying to spread the jam with the back of the spoon. A valiant effort at the very least, if a bit impractical. It worked well enough to satisfy the green boar however.

Movement caught Sonic's eye, making him jump and whip his head around to look. To his surprise, the darker boar had perched himself in the spare seat at the table. When had he gotten there? Sonic hadn't heard a single sound!

The bandaged paw lingered over the toast plate a moment, leery look etched into the tired face. Green eyes darted between the paw and the rubies before he nodded lightly.

"Go ahead." he murmured, nodding to the plate. "You don't need permission to eat here."

The long dark fingers seized two slices of toast and dragged them onto the plate at his spot. The free jar of jam, and the container of butter were moved near him to add what he wanted. Manic filled his plate with eggs, making sure to leave more than enough for Shadow to get his fair share as well.

Shadow contemplated the items in front of him and dressed his toast quickly and before going for the bowl of eggs.

Looking over the dark hedgehog, it occurred to Sonic why it was giving him a bit of deja vu. The one dusty brownish red and black coat was no longer those colors. The bright stripes stood out immensely better now, especially against the inky indigo black. So the newcomer had used the shower after all!

The three of them ate in relative silence, but Sonic watched Shadow. There was a little bit of fumbling on how to hold it, but it was clear he had been able to use them perfectly. This confused Sonic; how did he know...?

He gave a tiny shake of the head. It didn't matter where he learned it, or how (after all, he himself had learned from parroting his foster parents). The fact that he did meant that was one step that _wouldn't_ have to be taught.

* * *

Now that breakfast was over and done with, Shadow picked a corner of the living room and settled down to just... observe. It was so strange to be in a household again to him. So quiet and still from the bustle he was used to. It seemed to just be the three of them here, which would explain the almost dormancy.

As it was, they were leaving him be. The blue hedgehog was working in the kitchen, cleaning up after the meal and setting up something on the table with his laptop. The green one was currently rushing about the living room, straightening this and that. He'd retrieved a couple of books from the shelf taking up some of the back wall and set them on the coffee table. Pillows were fluffed, but the more interesting thing was... he moved the lounge chair to where it was resting against the sofa. It was almost like they were expecting a delivery...?

A knock echoed through the house, making the dark boar flinch. Manic took all of three steps for the door before turning towards the kitchen. Spotting Sonic, he galloped the rest of the way to the door to wait.

Sonic chuffed mildly, but didn't try and correct the behavior. Shadow found this odd, considering the rules they were discussing last night, but there had to be a reason, right?

He watched Sonic approach the door and open it. He chatted with someone out of sight, and then opened the door wider to allow entry. The darker boar's body tensed, ready to bolt on a moment's notice, but the sight of the visitor gave him pause.

It was a woman that he'd never seen before and yet was incredibly torn. The long blond hair, pulled back into a ponytail was several shades lighter and those bright blue eyes held a much more friendly glow than the one he'd seen for years now.

But the most important thing he took notice of was she was in a wheelchair.

Red eyes sharpened, flicking over the machine. It made sense now with how the lounge chair had been moved; there was room for the wheelchair now. Sonic was carrying her bag, and there didn't look to be anything in her way...

Unconsciously, Shadow crept out of the corner, moving to sit by the far arm of the sofa. Sonic looked at him curiously, filing it away for later consideration.

"Who's the quiet fellow?" the human asked, flashing the dark one a quick, friendly smile.

"New foster." Sonic started, but the green hedgehog eagerly cut in.

"That is Sha'ad, Helen! New F... Fos... Friend!" he chirped happily, before looking over at the dark one. "Join?"

Shadow's eyes darted towards the human. His heart felt like it was on a roller coaster. So many feelings, so many emotions. Pain from the last few years. Hurt from even longer ago. It was almost too much...

Shadow hunched his shoulders and backed out of view around the sofa, shaking his head. Manic drooped at this, but tried not to let it get to him. Shadow would come around, in time.

"Hurt. Shy." he said softly, looking perhaps a little guilty. "Maybe not ready."

"He'll decide on that."she replied, taking her bag and digging out her file. "Or he can just watch if he prefers. There's no harm or rush on either front."

Shadow crept around the sofa so that he could watch her more or less out of sight. Old training pushed him to keep alert around the chair, watching and listening. Every hand motion, every nod and turn of her head; he couldn't bring himself to look away.

Sonic headed into the kitchen, where he was away enough to give them some space, but close enough that he could interfere if needed. The newcomer seemed to be okay with simply stalking the wheelchair bound therapist. It was definitely _different_ than how Manic was when he first met her...

The blue boar shook his head, and dug into the long box beside him, pulling out one of the folders. Since they were busy in there, he might as well begin working on earning that bonus pay. He was going to need it to take care of them after all.

Half way through entering the first file into the computer he looked up and was nearly spooked out of his chair. The dark hedgehog certainly lived up to his name with how often he'd shown up without sound or warning. He stood in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, staring at him.

Those clearly intelligent, sharp eyes gazed at him silently. Emeralds gazed back, neither of them caving. Sonic saw the darker's face twitch a little in annoyance before he moved past and stood up, using the counter to support himself. The upper cabinet got opened, revealing the plates and bowls. Two more cabinets were opened (the spice, followed by the tea and nut butters) before he finally getting to the glasses and mugs. They were color coded, just like the plates. The paw raised like it was going to take a glass and... hesitated. Rubies flicked back and forth from the hedgehog to the glassware.

This confused Sonic. The darker had already proven he realised the red things were his, so... why was he being like this?

It took Shadow leaning back to look past him into the living room to get the hint. "Oh, you want to get something for Helen?"

Long triangular ears flicked upright, showing Sonic had his answer.

"She prefers bottled water, you can grab a bottle of it for her in the fridge." he turned his attention back to the computer. He looked back up to find the hot gaze on him, looking rather _annoyed_. "...what?"

Shadow huffed, finally snatching a red cup from the cabinet as well. he stalked to the fridge and yanked the door open. A bottle of water was grabbed from the bottom shelf. He kicked the door shut and turned the cup upside down over the water so he could carry both at once and quietly left.

It dawned on Sonic a little too late that he had wanted to offer both options to the human. Was he possibly looking for _guest_ glassware?

Sonic sighed; this non-verbalness was going to be a problem for a while. There wasn't' anything he could do about it now; he needed to focus on his work for the day.

He finally turned his attention back to inputting the case information. These things were just going to take time to figure out.

* * *

It was almost three hours before Helen called out Sonic's name. He stretched, standing up from the position he'd been in. His body complained at him as he stretched, threatening to cramp if he moved wrong. He really needed to reconsider how he was sitting when he was going to do these...

He came back into the living room, finding Shadow still watching from the far side of the room, but definitely much more relaxed than he'd been when she first showed up. Manic was seated at the coffee table, working in one of the workbooks with the thick, modified pencil she'd been training him with. He looked deep in concentration, and didn't even look up as the human headed for the door.

Sonic scurried over, opening the door for her and following her outside.

"So how was he?" Sonic asked, shutting the door gently behind him.

"He was good, you've been doing good with him too." she responded, uncapping the water and taking a drink of it. "Though you need to try and get him to read the labels more. He's relying too much on shape recognition rather than actually reading."

"I'll definitely focus on that while I'm off work." they moved away from the door, heading for her specialty car.

"So what's the story with your foster? Did his caretaker pass?" the door was opened and the case was slid into the back seat. She left the door wide open.

"Wha? No." a frown turned down the corners of Sonic's mouth. "He was rescued from..."

He swallowed, finding it had to say the name even after all these years. Just thinking of those words brought back terrible half remembered memories and nightmares. His stomach churned as he swore he caught a whiff of stale popcorn and the faintest hint of hay...

"... _That_ place." he finally finished weakly, when he was sure he wouldn't bring breakfast back around.

"It's okay, Sonic." she reached out one hand, but did not touch him. "I know where you're talking about, don't force yourself to say it."

The hedgehog appreciatively rested his head in her palm, accepting her offer of comfort. "Y-yeah, we got him from there a couple of days ago."

"But he... doesn't behave like he's from there at all. Other than being timid."

"Yeah, I... noticed that too."

"I'd take another look at his file, he was treating me like he'd been trained to care for someone else."

"But his file..." the hedgehog bit his lip before pausing. It was a closed file, and he really couldn't give much information. He rolled it around in his mind a moment before speaking. "His file was extremely tiny."

She frowned mildly. "Well... if you want me to do any research..."

"I can't give you the info, I'm sorry." he sighed. "I'm curious myself; I've seen so much odd behavior from him that I... wonder myself. We'll likely just have to wait for him to open up."

"If you want me to pick up his therapy t-"

Sonic held up one paw, silencing her. "I'm just...a temporary stop on his road. Once custody is settled and his file is public, he's... probably going to be moved to a... better home."

There was just a little hint of sadness there. Even if there were no issues with the Robotniks, the case itself was going to take a few weeks to resolve at minimum. He was going to wind up getting attached to Shadow, he just knew it.

There wasn't a way he could keep him; work wouldn't allow it. This really was going to be a rough few weeks. He just hoped Manic would be alright with him leaving too...

"Oh." her heart went out to the hedgehog. "I'm sorry."

"It's... okay. Part of fostering and all that." his smile was fake, forced but happy. "Anyways, you shou-"

He paused, ears upright and nose twitching. He hadn't been imagining it, he really did smell popcorn and hay! A chill went down his back, making all of his quills bristle in warning. Now on high alert, he crept around the side of the car to peer around it.

He didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first. The neighborhood was as silent and sleepy as it always was. The neighbors had a car parked outside their house, but this wasn't very uncommon. They had a big family and often had them parking on the road when the yard got too full.

Then it occurred to him that there were no other cars there. Just as he realised this, the car revved and tore away up the road.

Spooked now, Sonic hustled back to a concerned Helen. "I dunno what that was all about but I wanna get back inside."

"Go ahead, I can get in by myself. I'll message you later with the detailed report for Manic's file, as well as scheduling. You take care of yourself and your family, okay? And if you need to talk..."

He nodded, nervous energy making him feel more and more like he needed to bolt for the house more and more. "Thank you, Helen."

Sonic retreated into the house and slammed the door shut, leaning on it. Once a shaky paw dead bolted it, he slid down to sit at the base. Things were uncertain and turbulent. He just hoped that that car hadn't meant there was a storm brewing on the horizon...


End file.
